Conway – A six-run seventh inning was the highlight of a fiercely fought series finale between the Lamar Cardinals and Central Arkansas Bears at Farris Field on Sunday. After the Cardinals struck three times to take a 6-4 lead in the top of seventh, the Bears answered with three two-out runs of their own to take the game 7-6 and the series 2-1.
Lamar (24-21, 9-9 SLC) took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues by the Bears to tie the game in the top of the seventh, tying the game on a dropped fly ball and taking a lead on an RBI double from first baseman Shelby Henderson and a UCA throwing error, but Central Arkansas (22-19, 11-7 SLC) would respond in kind in the bottom of the frame, as an error off the bat of left fielder
Oakley Sisemore plated centerfielder
Kayla Crutchmer and a dropped pop-up from first baseman
Kaylyn Shepherd scored Sisemore and right fielder
Morgan Felts to give the Bears the walk-off win.
As with the first two games in the series, it would be Lamar who took an early lead thanks to an RBI triple from Henderson in the second, but the Bears continued their trend of responding, tying the game at 1-1 on an RBI single from catcher
Lauren Brooks in the bottom of the inning.
Central Arkansas would take the lead in the fourth inning, as Brooks scored on a Lamar fielding error, and extended it in the fifth when she blasted a two-run home run, her second of the season to put the Bears up 4-1.
Lamar would cut the lead to 4-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth to set up the riotous final frame.
Central Arkansas would use a quartet of pitchers on the day, with
Kailla Searcy allowing a run on four hits in 3.0 innings,
Ellie Reaves giving up a pair of unearned runs in 2.1 innings, and
Rio Sanchez surrendering two earned runs in 1.0 inning.
Rachel Haberman (6-2) earned her second relief win of the series, retiring the only two batters she faces to cut the Cardinals' seventh inning short.
Brooks and Crutchmer led the Bear offense on the day, with each turning in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. Brooks added three RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Crutchmer scored a run.
The Bears host Ouachita Baptist at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, before traveling to Hammond, Louisiana for a three-game Southland Conference series at Southeastern Louisiana on Friday and Saturday.
