CONWAY – For the first time in a doubleheader all season long, the University of Central Arkansas softball team dropped both matchups as Sam Houston State took two games at Farris Field Friday night.
UCA (12-15, 1-4 SLC) dropped the first contest to the Bearkats 3-1 in a battle of two stingy pitchers. SHSU led wire-to-wire in the nightcap, taking down Central Arkansas 10-2 in five innings.

SAM HOUSTON ST. 3, UCA 1

It was tough sledding in the first game of the day for a UCA offense that came into the contest the No. 1 ranked offense in several statistical categories. Bearkat pitcher Lindsey McLeod (6-7) tossed a complete-game one-hitter to lead the visitor's to victory.

NOTING GAME ONE
 

• The highlight of the game was Kaylyn Shepherd's home run over the centerfield wall in the sixth inning. The big fly was Shepherd's fourth of the season and it ended the no-hit bid from McLeod.
• Although she took the loss, Rio Sanchez (4-5) was solid in the circle for Central Arkansas. She tossed all 7.0 innings, allowed three earned runs and struck out four.

SAM HOUSTON ST. 10, UCA 2

Sam Houston State (11-14, 3-3 SLC) used a big second inning to provide the separation needed to take down the Bears in Game Two. The Bearkats outhit UCA 11-4 in the contest.

NOTING GAME TWO
 

• Erin Blackburn picked up her first RBI of the season with a basehit right up the middle in the fourth inning. The hit was her lone at-bat in the contest.
• Cylla Hill had the only other RBI in the game for the Bears. She drove in one on an RBI-fielder's choice in the first inning to tie the game 1-1.
• Kayla Crutchmer went 1-2 with a run scored and her Southland-Conference leading 20th stolen base of the year.
• Outfielder Reagan Sperling picked up a pinch-hit double in the fifth inning for UCA. It was the Sherwood, Ark. native's second two-bagger of the season.
• Senior Rachel Haberman (3-4) got the start and was on the wrong end of some unearned runs in the game-deciding second inning. She picked up the loss in the contest.

ON DECK

The series finale between Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State is scheduled for 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon at Farris Field. Follow the UCA Softball team on Twitter @UCASoftball and @UCASports.