Madeira Beach, Florida – The Central Arkansas Bears brought their bats to the final game of the 2018 Eastern Michigan Madeira Beach Invitational on Sunday morning, blasting three home runs to bring their total to six on the season. The last of the three, a three-run shot by sophomore Cylla Hill gave the Bears a walk-off 9-6 win over Villanova in eight innings, the Bears' first-ever win over a Big East opponent.

Villanova (7-9) jumped on Central Arkansas in the top of the second inning, taking a 4-0 lead with seven hits. After first baseman Nikki Alden opened the inning with a double and third baseman Dana Morris added a single, right fielder Natalia Segovia drove in the game's first run with a double to left-center field. Left fielder Caroline Jones plated Morris with a single up the middle to score Segovia and put the Wildcats up 2-0, before stealing second base. Central Arkansas (7-9) shortstop Kate Myers cut down a runner at the plate for the first out of the inning, but 'Nova answered with RBI singles from shortstop Brittany Husk and pitcher Anissa Amarillas to push the lead to 4-0.

UCA wasted no time in responding, as centerfield Reagan Sperling led off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single and moved to second when second baseman Libby Morris was hit by a pitch. After catcher Lauren Brooks moved the runners over with a groundout, Hill was hit by a pitch to load the bases for right fielder Morgan Felts, who cut the Widlcat lead to 4-2 with a single to right-center field.

The Bears would add to the lead in the bottom of the third inning, as Morris launched two-run home run over the fence in center field to drive in Sperling and even the game at 4-4 and Brooks followed with a home run of her own, planting a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left-center to give UCA its first lead of the game.

An RBI single from Myers pushed the UCA lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth, but Villanova would get solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings to send the game to extra innings.

After reliever Ellie Reaves set the Wildcats down in order in the top of the eighth, Sperling started the bottom of the frame on second base under international tie-break rules. Sperling moved to third on a single from Morris and before Brooks flew out to deep left field. Hill, who had missed a home run by a foot and a half in the third, didn't miss in the eighth inning, blasting a no-doubter well over the wall in center to give the Bears a 9-6 win.

Reaves (2-2) earned the win in relief, holding Villanova to two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Rachel Haberman got the start, surrendering four runs in 1.0 innings, and Kailla Searcy also worked 1.0 inning of relief, allowing three hits and a walk.

Myers continued her hot weekend, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Morris also picked up a 2-for-3 day and added two RBI and three runs scored.

Central Arkansas returns home for its Southland Conference opener this coming weekend, hosting McNeese State at Farris Field. The Bears and Cowgirls will play a doubleheader beginning at 5:00 PM on Friday night before wrapping up the series with a single game at 1:00 PM on Saturday.