CONWAY – Senior Day at Farris Field was made a bit sweeter as the University of Central Arkansas softball squad controlled Houston Baptist in a 7-2 win Saturday afternoon. The victory clinched the eighth-straight appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament for the program.

UCA (25-25, 11-13) seems to have found its mojo at the right time having now won four straight and holding every opponent to four runs or fewer during the winning streak.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
 

• What better way to earn a win than by your two senior pitchers shutting down the opposition on Senior Day. Ellie Reaves (2-3) earned the victory tossing 4.0 innings and allowing just two hits and two earned runs. Rachel Haberman slammed the door shut on the Huskies, finishing the final 3.0 innings while striking out three to earn her first save of 2019.
• On the basepaths, history was made as junior Kayla Crutchmer recorded stolen bases No. 36 and 37 to surpass Maegan Bell for most swiped bags in a single season by any Central Arkansas softball player. Crutchmer finished the game 2-4 with two steals and two runs scored.
• Libby Morris continued to rack up the production, going 2-2 at the plate while driving in two runs and scoring another. The senior leads the Bears with 43 RBI this season.
• Morgan Felts had another stellar game to cap off her strongest weekend series of the year. The Conway native went 2-3 with a two-RBI double to left-center to break the game open in the third inning.
• Fellow seniors Krissy Fontillas (0-2, one run) and Cheyenne Kuhn (1-3) pitched in for the Bears offensively on their final home game at Farris Field.
• The unsung hero of the UCA season has been shortstop Erin Blackburn. The freshman went 2-4 with one RBI and one run scored to round out an excellent final home weekend of her young career.
• Run producing machine Cylla Hill accounted for two more runs on Saturday as the Henryetta, Okla. native drove in one and scored another.

QUOTING SENIOR DAY

SENIOR MORGAN FELTS

"We got some really great pitching from our seniors," Felts stated. "Our group is really close and it was great to get a win that clinched a spot in the conference tournament on Senior Day. I feel like we are peaking at the right time so I am happy we were able to go ahead and clinch that spot."

HEAD COACH DAVID KUHN

"It was an all-around great win and great weekend," Kuhn said. "These seniors, just like all the girls who have come through the program, have always done what we have asked and have left this program in a better spot than when they got here. That's all I can ask of them and I know they have done that. I am happy to get the win, but more happy we were able to do it on Senior Day."

ON DECK

Back-to-back road trips to Natchitoches, La., which begins with a three-game series next Friday, awaits the Bears. UCA will take on the Lady Demons next weekend before competing in the Southland Conference Tournament the following week. For all things UCA Softball, follow the program on Twitter and Instagram @UCASoftball.