Starkville, Mississippi – The Central Arkansas Bears found themselves facing a top-25 team for the fifth time in their past 10 games on Wednesday, traveling to Starkville, Mississippi to take on the 21
st-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs. For the second time in those five games, the Bears found themselves on the wrong side of the decision, falling 7-0.
Central Arkansas (13-13) threatened in the top of the first, as right fielder
Morgan Felts led off with a walk and a stolen base and first baseman
Kaylyn Shepherd was hit by a pitch, but a hard-hit ball from second baseman
Libby Morris was tracked down by Mississippi State left fielder Emily Heimberger to end the inning.
That would be the only threat the Bears could muster until the sixth inning, as MSU starter Cassidy Knudson retired the side in order in each of the next four frames. Center fielder
Reagan Sperling broke that streak with a lead-off walk in the sixth, and moved to second on a fielding error off the bat of Felts. The Bears would then load the bases thanks to a bunt single from left fielder
Oakley Sisemore, UCA's only hit of the game, before a double play and a strikeout ended the threat.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to an RBI groundout from Heimberger, before a two-run home run from shortstop Reggie Harrison made it 3-0 in the third. After right fielder Carmen Carter scored to extend the lead to 4-0, first baseman Sarai Niu capped the evening's scoring with a three-run home run to put MSU up 7-0 in the 4
th.
Ellie Reaves (2-4) took the loss for Central Arkansas, allowing five earned runs on five hits and walk with one strikeout in3.2 innings of work, and
Rio Sanchez worked the final 2.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a strikeout.
Central Arkansas returns home to open a six-game homestand with a three-game series against Sam Houston State this weekend. The Bears and Bearkats will play a doubleheader beginning at 5:00 PM on Friday night before closing out the series with a single game at 1:00 PM on Saturday. UCA will then host Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a doubleheader at 5:00 PM on Tuesday and Ole Miss in a single game at 5:00 PM on Wednesday.
