CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears had their way with the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions on Wednesday night at Bear Stadium, cruising to a 25-5 non-conference victory in their final tuneup for an important Southland Conference series this weekend.
The Bears (30-18) used a 12-run third inning to blow the game open and turned 25 hits into 25 runs, giving them their seventh consecutive victory and their fourth 30-win season under head coach Allen Gum. UCA sent 15 batters to the plate in the third inning, with junior designated hitter Hunter Strong accounting for four RBI in that inning alone with a pair of doubles. Junior first baseman Tyler Smith added his sixth home run of the season, one of UCA's three on the night, a two-run shot to right field.
For the game, Strong finished 3 for 3 with a home run and two doubles and had 7 RBI, one night after recording a career-high 6 RBI in UCA's 14-3 win over another in-state rival Arkansas State. In the two games, UCA outscored its opponents 39-8 and out-hit them 34-18. Strong combined to go 7 for 8 with 13 RBI and 5 runs scored in the two games.
While there were plenty of offensive heroes, junior right hander Taylor Anders was just as valuable. In the first start of his UCA career, Anders went five innings, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out four and walking none. UCA used five more young arms to get through the rest of the game with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions looming this weekend.
UCA played 16 position players with 13 recording hits. Ten players knocked in runs and 14 scored. Two players, Colby LeBlanc and Paul Rouse, picked up three hits each off the bench, with Rouse getting his first three hits of the season and bringing in three runs. Senior catcher Justin McCarty hit his first home run of the season and eighth of his career in the fifth inning finished 2 for 5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.
The Bears added four more runs in the fourth inning and six more in the sixth, including a two-run double to the wall in left center by sophomore third baseman Christian Brasher, who entered the game in the fifth inning. Coby Potvin was 1 for 1 with 2 RBI and 2 run scored, including a double off the bottom of the right-field fence in the decisive third inning. Smith went 3 for 3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.
UCA, in third place in the SLC standings at 16-8, hosts No. 2 SLU (19-8) in a key three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at Bear Stadium. Graduation ceremonies will take place prior to Saturday's 4 p.m. start, with Senior Day set for Sunday's 1 p.m. finale.
