Lake Charles, Louisiana – The Central Arkansas Bears opened their seventh-consecutive Southland Conference Tournament appearance against a familiar foe on Tuesday morning, taking on the Sam Houston State Bearkats for the fifth time in tournament play. For the fourth time in those five meetings, the Bears found themselves on the wrong side of the decision, falling 9-1.

After both sides went in order in the first inning, Sam Houston State (23-21) notched the game's first run, using back-to-back two-out doubles from designated Bailey White and catcher Megan Crosby for a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.

The Bears (28-25) would threaten in the bottom of the inning, getting a leadoff walk from second baseman Libby Morris and an infield single from designated player Brianna McArthur, but were unable to even things up.

After Central Arkansas stranded a runner at third in the bottom of the third, the Bearkats would add to the lead, getting an unearned run on a throwing error to go up 2-0 and using a leadoff double from third baseman Katie Andrie, a sacrifice bunt, and a single through the left side from right fielder Sheridan Fisher to extend the advantage to 3-0 in the fifth.

A leadoff home run from first baseman Codi Carpenter in the sixth inning would push the lead to 4-0, before a two-run error of the bat of second baseman Brooke Malia gave SHSU a 6-0 in the seventh. The Bearkats would strike three more times in the inning, using a sacrifice fly from White, a double from Crosby, and a single third baseman Katie Andrie to send the Bears to their final at-bat trailing 9-0.

Third baseman Audrey Pratt opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk and went first-to-third on a bunt single from left fielder Oakley Sisemore, who would advance to second on the throw. Pinch hitter Ryan McTaggart then drove in Pratt ripping a ball back up the middle that SHSU pitcher Lyndsey McLeod was able to knock down, keeping Sisemore at third and retiring McTaggart at first. Right fielder Morgan Felts would then drive a ball to centerfield, but Bearkat centerfielder Megan McDonald made the catch to end the game.
 

Rachel Haberman (10-4) took the loss for the Bears after giving up a pair of earned runs on six hits while striking out one in 4.1 innings. Rio Sanchez surrendered three runs on three hits and a walk with a strike out in 1.2 innings of work, while Kailla Searcy allowed three unearned runs on one hit and one walk in 0.2 innings. Maddy Prough worked the final 0.1 innings, allowing one hit.

Sisemore led the Central Arkansas offense on the day, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, while Felts and first baseman Kaylyn Shepherd each had a double.

Tuesday's loss doesn't necessarily spell the end of the 2018 season for the Bears, who could receive a bid to participate in the National Invitational Softball Championship, which will announce its 24-32 team field on the evening of Sunday, May 13^th. If the Bears are done for the year, they finish with 28 wins for the fifth time in the past seven years, averaging over 31 victories per year during that period.