Conway – The Central Arkansas Bears entered their final regular season series on Friday night playing for seeding in next week's Southland Conference Tournament. While nothing was decided based on Friday night's results, the Bears helped themselves out, sweeping a doubleheader from Northwestern State 9-2 and 5-3.

Central Arkansas (28-23, 16-10 SLC) got a strong pitching performance in game one from Kailla Searcy (6-6), who allowed a pair of walks and a single to the first three batters she faced before settling in to retire 19 of the next 21 Northwestern State (26-23, 13-13 SLC) hitters. All told, Searcy allowed a pair of runs, both in the first, on five hits and three walks while striking out one  batter in 7.0 innings.

The Lady Demons grabbed a lead in the top of the first, turning their leadoff runners into two runs thanks to RBI groundouts from left fielder Kaitlyn St. Clair and designate player Codi Vernace, but the 2-0 lead would hold for just six batters, as the Bears would answer back in the bottom of the frame. After a leadoff single and a walk were both erased on the base paths, second baseman Libby Morris would even the game at 2-2 with a two-run home run to right-center field to drive in shortstop Kate Myers.

An RBI single from right fielder Morgan Felts plated third baseman Cylla Hill and gave the Bears a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning, before UCA broke the game open in the third. Myers would get things going with one out, launching a solo home run to center field, before Morris ripped a single through the right side and first baseman Kaylyn Shepherd drew a walk. Designated player Brianna McArthur then doubled in Morris, before Hill plated Shepherd with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 in favor of the Bears.

Hill would add on for Central Arkansas in the fifth, doubling home pinch runner Reagan Sperling, before a sacrifice fly from Myers and an RBI single from Morris capped the game's scoring in the sixth.

Northwestern State would threaten in the top of the seventh, putting a pair on base, but Searcy got a lineout to Myers to end the game.
 

The Lady Demons again took an early lead in game two, thanks to an RBI single from Vernace, but the Bears answered in with a sacrifice fly from Felts to even things up in the bottom of the second.

Vernace would again put the Lady Demons up in the top of the sixth, driving in centerfielder Julie Rawls with a double to right-center, but the Bears proved up to the task again, plating four runs on three hits and four walks to take a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the inning.

Central Arkansas opened the inning with singles from McArthur and catcher Ryan McTaggart along with a walk from third baseman Audrey Pratt, before Felts drew a one-out walk to drive in McArthur and even things up at 2-2. Following a strikeout, Myers found a hole in the left side, scoring Pratt and Sperling, and Felts was able to score as well thanks to a throwing error on the play.

Northwestern State would again threaten in the seventh, scratching out a run and putting the go the go-ahead run on first base, but a groundout to Pratt ended things.

Ellie Reaves got the start for Central Arkansas and took a no-decision after limiting the Lady Demons to a pair of runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout in 5.1 innings, while Rachel Haberman (10-3) picked up the relief win; working the final 1.2 and giving up one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Myers had a strong day at the plate for the Bears, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, three walks, and two runs scored, while Morris and Felts each went 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Central Arkansas will wrap up the regular season tomorrow, and go for the sweep, tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM, following Senior Day ceremonies.