MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The University of Central Arkansas softball team opened play at THE Spring Games in Madeira Beach with games against Butler (5-1) and Middle Tennessee (4-4). The UCA offense woke up today as Lexi McClellan, Reagan Sperling, and Kaylyn Shepherd all hit home runs on the day.
 
As a team, the Bears tallied two two-run homers on the day. McClellan led Central Arkansas with a 4-for-6 day at the plate with two RBIs.
 
Game 1 – Butler 5, UCA 4
 
Butler jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. After the first two batters reached on hits, Maddie Moore put the Bulldogs on the board with a bunt single back to the pitcher. Two batters later, Karli Ricketts produced a sacrifice fly to left. Butler added two runs in the fifth when Loren Simpson doubled down the right field line and drove in two runs.
 
Mary Kate Brown recorded a one-out single to left field to get the Bears some momentum in the home half of the sixth. After being down in the count, 0-2, Shepherd got a pitch she liked and blasted a shot to straight-away center. Shepherd's two-run homer cut the Butler lead in half, 4-2.
 
The Bulldogs added a run in the top of the seventh off of an RBI single through the left side by Bri Avery and made the score, 5-2.
 
Emily Sampson led off the home half of the seventh with a walk. Tylar Vernon came in to pinch run for Sampson. Sperling recorded her first home run of the season with a bomb to left, which scored Vernon. UCA pulled within one, but could not tie the game.
 
With the win, Ricketts improved to 3-0 on the year, as she notched 13 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Alyssa Graves picked up a save with 0.2 innings pitched and one strikeout.
 
Rio Sanchez fell to 0-2 in the pitcher's circle. Sanchez tallied three strikeouts in four innings of work. Kayla Beaver pitched three innings and struck out one batter.
 
Game 2 – UCA 3, Middle Tennessee 0
 
After both teams went three up, three down in the first inning, Cylla Hill led off the top of the third with a double to left center. Lauren Brooks followed with an RBI single down the left-field line.
 
The top of the third started with a bang as McClellan drove a ball deep over the wall in left center. The Bears held a 2-0 lead after three innings of play.
 
Keely McGee notched a one-out double to right to get a runner in scoring position for Middle Tennessee. After a single put runners on the corners for the Blue Raiders, the UCA defense came up huge. Jocelynn De La Cruz hit a fly ball to center field, where Sperling made the catch. Sperling then threw a bullet to the catcher, Vernon, who tagged the runner trying to score. The double play kept the shutout intact.
 
After she reached base with a one-out single down the left field line in the top of the fifth, Jenna Wildeman stole second and moved into scoring position. McClellan recorded an RBI single to center and extended the UCA lead to 3-0.
 
Middle Tennessee managed to get the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Jordan Johnson settled down and recorded the final two outs of the inning without a run scored.
 
Johnson picked up her first complete-game shutout of the season and improved to 1-2 on the year. She recorded two strikeouts and scattered four hits.
 
Mia Marinakis fell to 1-2 on the year. She went 4.1 innings and struck out one batter. Kailey Ahlstrom went the final 2.2 innings and added a strikeout.
 
UCA returns to the diamond Saturday, Feb. 15, for matchups with Presbyterian and Akron. The game with PC is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT, followed by Akron at 3 p.m. CT.
 
From the coach – Head Coach David Kuhn
"I thought Rio Sanchez, Kayla Beaver, and Jordan Johnson all pitched really well today. Butler has a good team and played better than us today. We still had our chance to win."
"Middle Tennessee has an outstanding ball club. We played good defense and had some timely hitting that was the difference in today's game."

Follow the Bears
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram