Conway – The Central Arkansas Bears and Lamar Cardinals finally opened play in their Southland Conference Series, playing a doubleheader at Farris Field on Saturday. The Cardinals would take the first game 5-2, before the Bears evened the series with an 8-5 win in the second game.

The day's second game saw Lamar (24-20, 9-8 SLC) take an early lead on wild pitch in the top of the first, but Central Arkansas (21-19, 10-7 SLC) would answer with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the frame, as left fielder Oakley Sisemore would score on a passed ball and first baseman Kaylyn Shepherd came around on a single from second baseman Libby Morris.

LU would strike twice in the third, scoring a run on an outfield error and adding another on a sacrifice fly from designated player Taylor Davis, but the Bears would answer again, tying the game thanks to an RBI double from Morris in the bottom of the third and taking a 5-3 lead in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk from Shepherd and an RBI fielder's choice from Morris.

After the Cardinals cut the lead to one on an infield single from left fielder Kendall Talley, Central Arkansas shortstop Kate Myers would break the game open in the sixth, blasting a three-run home run, her fourth of the season, to drive in Sisemore and right fielder Morgan Felts and push the UCA lead to 8-4.

Lamar would open the top of the seventh with three consecutive singles, before Rio Sanchez came on and got an RBI fielder's choice and a strikeout, and catcher Lauren Brooks threw out a runner at third to end the game.

Maddy Prough made her first start since March 2^nd for the Bears, allowing a pair of earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three in 3.2 innings. Rachel Haberman (5-2) picked up the win in relief after allowing two runs on eight hits and walk with one strike out in 2.1 innings, while Sanchez picked up her second save with a perfect seventh inning.

The day's first game saw Lamar score an unearned run in the top of the first and add four more in the second, getting RBI from third baseman Maddy Meyers and catcher Shelby Hughston and a two-run error off the bat of second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen to take a 5-0 lead.

While Central Arkansas would get an RBI double from Myers and an RBI single from Shepherd to cut the lead to 5-2 in the fifth, missed opportunities would be the story of the game for the Bears, who stranded 10 runners in the game and left runners in scoring position in every inning but the first.

Sanchez (8-6) took the loss for the Bears, despite limiting the LU to just a pair of earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three in her fifth complete game of the season.

On the day, the Bears hit .351 and stole seven bases, led by Kayla Crutchmer, who was a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases. Shepherd, Felts, and Myers each went 3-for-6, with Shepherd driving in a pair of runs, Felts stealing three bases, and Myers adding four RBI, while Morris was 3-for-7 with three RBI and two doubles.

The Bears will look to win the series tomorrow at noon.