Natchitoches, Louisiana – The Central Arkansas softball Bears took to the field on the final day of the 2017 regular season knowing that they needed a win in one of the day's two scheduled games. UCA left nothing to chance, taking the first game 2-1 and the second 3-2 to take their third-straight Southland Conference series and secure their sixth-straight SLC Tournament appearance.
Just like in the series' first game, Central Arkansas (24-32, 14-13 SLC) and Northwestern State (22-31-1, 12-15 SLC) found themselves in locked in a pitcher's duel in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader, as
Kayla Gomness and NSU's Hayley Barbazon and Katelyn Boles combined for just three runs, one earned on 11 hits and five walks in 14.0 innings pitched.
Central Arkansas struck first on the day, when right fielder
Morgan Felts followed an error and two fielder's choices to drive in shortstop
Kate Myers and give the Bears a 1-0 lead in the second inning .
The Bears would add to their lead in the third inning, when left fielder
Hannah Stirton led off with a single to left-center field. Stirton would move to second on a sacrifice bunt from centerfielder
Briana Whisenhunt and third on when first baseman
Kaylyn Shepherd drew a walk to load the bases. Designated player
Cylla Hill then pushed the UCA lead to 2-0, lofting a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Stirton.
Northwestern State would cut the UCA lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning, thanks to an RBI single from first baseman Brittney Jones, but that would be all either side could manage, with Central Arkansas leaving the bases loaded in the fourth inning and the Lady Demons responding in kind in the sixth.
Gomness (16-16) earned the win for the Bears, holding NSU to a single unearned run on seven hits and three walks in 7.0 innings of work.
Game two saw the Bears grab the lead again, as Stirton led off the third inning by getting hit by a pitch. Whisenhunt again laid down a sacrifice bunt and again reached on an error, racing all the way to third as Stirton scored from first base. Hill would come through for the Bears again, roping a single to center field to drive in Whisenhunt.
NSU would answer with a pair of its own in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to RBI singles from second baseman Micayla Sorosiak and catcher Emma Hawthorne, but Central Arkansas re-took the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Felts got things going with a single to right field and came in to score on a double from Myers.
Kailla Searcy got the start for Central Arkansas and allowed a pair of runs on six hits while striking out one in 3.2 innings of work, while
Nicole Fullilove (1-2) earned the win in relief by allowing just a walk in 1.1 innings of work.
Ellie Reaves earned her first save of the season by allowing one hit and striking out two in 2.0 innings.
On the day, Felts went 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored, while Myers was 2-for-6 with an RBI and a run and Stirton was 2-for-3 with two HBP and a walk.
Central Arkansas, who finished the regular season by winning seven of its last 10 games, earned the fifth seed in the Southland Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Conway, Arkansas. The Bears will take on fourth-seeded Sam Houston State at 1:30 PM with the winner moving on to face top-seeded McNeese State at 6:30 PM Wednesday evening.
