CONWAY, Ark. _ A four-run inning carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to their first victory of the season on Sunday afternoon, a 5-2 win over Missouri State at Bear Stadium.
The Bears (1-2) put up four runs in the second inning against MSU starting pitcher Peyton Carson. Junior third baseman Benny Ayala hit his second solo home run in as many days to lead off the inning and senior first baseman
Coby Potvin added a bases-loaded double off the right-field wall that cleared the bases and gave UCA a 4-1 lead.
Missouri State (2-1) had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning for the second consecutive day on a RBI single by Dakota Kotowski but UCA answered to grab its first lead of the weekend series, one it would not lose. The visiting Bears added a single run in the fifth inning with a solo home run by center fielder Greg Ziegler to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Bears came back in the bottom of that inning with a two-out double by junior second baseman
Rylan Meek, followed by an RBI single down the left-field line by senior center fielder
Josh Ragan off MSU reliever Matt Russell to score the fifth run.Â
UCA starter
Mark Moyer, a senior righthander from Russellville, went five innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out five. Senior lefthander
Brad Verel tossed two scoreless, hitless innings before giving way to closer
Conner Williams in the eighth. Williams allowed three hits and struck out three in two scoreless innings for his first save, striking out two of the four batters he faced in the ninth. Senior third baseman
Beau Orlando made a nice diving stop to throw out a runner for the second out of the inning.
Potvin, who missed the entire 2019 season with a medical issue, finished 2 for 5 with 3 runs batted in, while Ayala was 3 for 4 and designated hitter
Cole Fiori went 2 for 3. UCA totaled 10 hits against four MSU pitchers and played error-less ball in the field. Third baseman Grant Wood was the only MSU player with multiples hits, going 2 for 3.
The Bears continue their four-game homestand on Tuesday, hosting the Memphis Tigers at 4 p.m. at Bear Stadium.
