Conway – The Central Arkansas Bears and Abilene Christian Wildcats entered the day tied for fifth place in the Southland Conference standings, and after a pair of games at Farris Field, the teams are still in a deadlock in the league table, as Abilene Christian opened this weekend's three-game series with a 4-0 win, before Central Arkansas responded with a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
Abilene Christian (21-22, 13-10 SLC) would put runners at second and third in both the first and second innings of the day's second game, but on both occasions the Central Arkansas (25-23, 13-10 SLC) defense would cut a runner down at the plate before starter
Rio Sanchez got a strikeout to end the threat.
The Wildcats would break through in the third inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly from designated player Alyson Bishoff, but another out at the plate and a third rally-killing strikeout from Sanchez minimized the damage.
Central Arkansas would even the game in the bottom of the inning, thanks to the speed of right fielder
Kayla Crutchmer, who singled to shortstop, stole second base, moved to third on a sacrifice fly from shortstop
Kate Myers, and came in to score on an error off the bat of second baseman
Libby Morris.
After left fielder
Oakley Sisemore erased a leadoff double by throwing out the runner at third in the top of the fourth, third baseman
Cylla Hill gave the Bears the lead, planting the first pitch she saw from ACU starter Hannah Null in the Central Arkansas bullpen for her second home run of the year.
Crutchmer again got things started in the fifth inning, sliding in just ahead of the tag for a leadoff double, before Sisemore laid down a sacrifice bunt and Myers lofted a sacrifice fly to left-center to drive the run and push the lead to 3-1.
The Wildcats loaded the bases in the sixth, but reliever
Rachel Haberman (8-3) got a fly out to right field to end the rally attempt.
Sanchez took the no-decision after allowing a run on six hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in 2.0 innings, while Haberman earned the win thanks to 5.0 innings of scoreless relief. The junior righty scattered six hits and a walk while striking out four.
The series-opener proved to be a pitcher's duel with Null and UCA starter
Kailla Searcy combining to allow just one earned run on nine hits and six walks with eight strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched. Searcy (5-6) would take the loss though, giving up a single earned run in 6.2 innings, while Haberman retired the only batter she faced. Null (17-11) tossed a gem for the Wildcats, holding UCA to four hits and two walks in 7.0 innings.
ACU would take a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, thanks to a leadoff home run by shortstop Peyton Hedrick, but it appeared that Central Arkansas would respond in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases on a walk from Morris, a walk from catcher
Lauren Brooks, and an infield single from third baseman
Audrey Pratt, but a fielder's choice cut down Morris at the plate and ended the threat.
The Wildcats would plate a trio of unearned runs in the top of the seventh to break the game open.
Crutchmer turned in a 3-for-6 day at the plate and added a stolen base and two runs scored, while eight other Bears tallied a single hit. Searcy chipped in with a double in
game two, while Myers and Hill each drove in a run.
The Bears and Wildcats will decided their series tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM.
