San Antonio, Texas – The Central Arkansas softball Bears returned to Southland Conference play on Friday, heading to San Antonio, Texas for a doubleheader at the University of the Incarnate Word. The Bears fell in game one by a score of 5-3, before rebounding with a 6-5 win in the night cap.

The day's second game saw Incarnate Word (4-14, 1-4 SLC) use a two-run double from second baseman Jaylin Olivarez to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Central Arkansas (13-11, 4-1 SLC) would answer in the top of the fifth. Left fielder Oakley Sisemore started the inning with a one-out single up the middle and right field Morgan Felts followed with a single to right field, before shortstop Kate Myers launched a three-run home run to left field to put the Bears up 3-1.

The Bears would double add three more in the sixth inning, when designated player Brianna McArthur led off with a single. Pitcher Rachel Haberman would then lay down a sacrifice bunt to advance pinch runner Mary Mills Lochala, who ended up on third following a throwing error, before coming in to score on a single from catcher Lauren Brooks.
After an infield single from pinch hitter Reagan Sperling and a sacrifice bunt from Sisemore, both Brooks and Sperling would come in to score on an error off the bat of Felts, pushing the lead to 6-2.

An RBI fielder's choice from the Cardinals' Teanna Lucio would cut it to 6-3 in the sixth, before a short rally in the seventh made it 6-5. UCA head coach David Kuhn would make the call to the bullpen, bringing Ellie Reaves, who retired the three batters she faces to earn the save.

Kailla Searcy (3-4) earned the win for the Bears, allowing a pair of runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three and walking one in 4.2 innings. Haberman allowed a run in 0.1 innings of relief, while Rio Sanchez gave up a pair in 1.0 innings of work.

Central Arkansas would take the fourth-inning lead in the series opener, thanks to sacrifice flies from Myers and McArthur, but the Cardinals answered with a grand slam from first baseman Bailey Thomas to take a 4-2 lead.

First baseman Kaylyn Shepherd would score on an error in the top of the fifth, but UIW would answer with a run in the sixth to extend the lead back to two.

Second baseman Libby Morris led off the top of the seventh with a double, but Central Arkansas was unable to bring her around.

Sanchez (6-4) took the loss for Central Arkansas after allowing four runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings, while Reaves worked the final 1.2 innings and gave up a single run on two hits.

On the day, Sisemore went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and Shepherd was 4-for-7 with two doubles and a run, while Myers went 1-for-4 and drove in four runs.

The Bears and Cardinals meet tomorrow for the rubber match of their three-game series, with first pitch set for 12:00 PM.