CONWAY, Ark. _ Down to their last strike Thursday afternoon, the University of Central Arkansas Bears got a dramatic grand slam from pinch-hitter Cylla Hill to rally past Stephen F. Austin in an elimination game at the NISC Regional at Farris Field.

The late dramatics kept the season alive for UCA and put the Bears up against the loser of Texas Tech-UT Arlington at 6 p.m. Thursday night, playing for a spot in Friday's championship game. However, the Big 12 Red Raiders downed the Bears 9-0 in five innings to close out UCA's season.

The Bears (29-26), the visiting team against conference rival SFA, trailed the entire game before batting around in the seventh inning. UCA loaded the bases with three consecutive walks to Morgan Felts, Kayla Crutchmer and Kate Myers. SFA brought its second pitcher of the game, Callee Guffey, back into the circle and gave up Libby Morris' sacrifice fly to center field that closed the gap to 3-2. Kaylyn Shepherd walked to again load the bases. 

Hill, a sophomore from Henryetta, Okla., then came off the bench and hit a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to give the Bears a 6-3 lead. It was Hill's fourth home run of the season and prolonged the season for the Bears. UCA put two more runners on in the inning before Guffey finally got out of it. UCA freshman Maddie Prough got a double-play ground ball and a strike out in the bottom of the seventh to end it. Prough (3-3), on in relief of starter Rio Sanchez, went the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing three hits but no runs while striking out two.

UCA catcher Ryan McTaggart finished 3 for 4 with an RBI for the Bears. Amber Landry and Bryana Novegil had two hits each for the Ladyjacks, who took two of three games from their fellow Southland Conference team during the regular season in Nacogdoches, Texas. SFA closes the season with a 31-24 record

    In the second elimination game of the day for the Bears, Texas Tech jumped out early with seven runs in the first two innings and UCA never rebounded. The Red Raiders recorded 11 hits off three UCA pitchers while the Bears managed just two off TTU's Erin Edmoundson, who went the distance in the run-rule victory. Tech will face UT Arlington for the regional championship at noon Friday.

  Senior catcher Ryan McTaggart, junior second baseman Libby Morris and sophomore center fielder Kayla Crutchmer were named to the All-NISC Regional team.

    UCA closed the season with a 29-27 record, making a national postseason appearance for the second time in four seasons. The Bears won at least 25 games for the ninth consecutive season under head coach David Kuhn.