HAMMOND, La. – The University of Central Arkansas softball team entered into the final innings with a lead in both games of Friday night's doubleheader, but were unable to stave off host-Southeastern Louisiana dropping both contests at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

UCA (21-25, 7-13 SLC) outhit SLU by a combined 16-8 over the two contests but some aggressive baserunning and timely hits from the home team propelled the Lions to their 13th and 14th Southland Conference wins of the season.

SOUTHEASTERN LA. 3, UCA 2

In the opening game of the series between two of the Southland favorites, UCA carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth but could not hold off the Lions who rallied for two runs and held on late for the 3-2 win in Game One.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
 

• Hitting a blistering .444 over the past three weeks, freshman Erin Blackburn drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the fifth inning. She finished the game 1-3 with the RBI-single.
• Oakley Sisemore drove in the only other Bear run on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. It was the fourth RBI of the season for the senior.
• Rio Sanchez (8-9) was on the wrong end of a tough-luck decision, having tossed a complete game. She went 6.0 innings and allowed three earned runs in the loss.
• The middle of the Central Arkansas order came to life as Libby Morris (2-4, one double) and Cylla Hill (3-4) each scored a run in the game while combining for five of UCA's seven hits.

SOUTHEASTERN LA. 5, UCA 4

The Bears took a 4-1 lead in the nightcap on a three-run top of the third inning. The resilient Lions tacked on three runs of their own to tie it in the fourth and pushed across the go-ahead run in the home half of the fifth inning to doom UCA.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
 

• Tylar Vernon belted her third homer of the season, the most by and Central Arkansas freshman, in the second inning. The Pangburn native went 2-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in the contest.
• Outfielder KKayla Crutchmer went 2-3 and stole her team-high 34th base this season. The junior now sits just one shy of tying the program record for most in a season.
• Morgan Felts laced an RBI-double in the big fourth inning for the Bears that helped keep a rally alive. It was the Conway native's ninth RBI on the year.
• Hill, Morris, Kaylyn Shepherd and Reagan Sperling each picked up a basehit in the setback for the Bears.
• Kailla Searcy got the nod in the circle and went 3.2 innings before giving way to Sanchez in the fourth. The Erie, Colo. native dropped to 8-10 on the season after recording the loss.

ON DECK

The Bears and Lions will play the series finale tomorrow at 12 p.m. Live stats and a live online stream are available for fans looking to follow the action. Follow UCA Softball on Twitter and Instagram @UCASoftball.