CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team closed out the 2021 Michelle Short Memorial Classic with a 9-1 victory over Western Illinois. Cylla Hill led the attack with a 2-for-2 day at the plate with three RBIs. The Bears tallied 14 hits in the game and improved to 7-6 on the season.
 
Mary Kate Brown started the second inning with a single up the middle. Kristen Whitehouse followed with a single through the left side. A perfectly-placed sac bunt by Lexi McClellan moved Brown and Whitehouse to third and second, respectively. With two outs, Jenna Wildeman bounced a high chopper over the pitcher's head for a single and scored Brown from third. Reagan Sperling followed with an infield single to the second baseman and scored Whitehouse from third. With runners on first and third, Sperling stole second and moved into scoring position. Kaylyn Shepherd singled to left field and scored both Sperling and Wildeman. Hill followed with a double off of the left center field wall and scored Shepherd. UCA took a 5-0 lead into the third.
 
The first batter in the third inning for Western Illinois drew a walk, which was the first base runner for the Leathernecks. Rio Sanchez was unfazed by the walk and sat the next three down in order. Sanchez surrendered her first hit in the top of the fourth on a single to right.
 
In the home half of the fourth, Sperling notched a one-out single to right field and then stole second. Shepherd then singled to right field to put runners on the corners for the Bears. Megan Crownover came in to pinch run for Shepherd. Crownover stole second and moved into scoring position. Hill launched her second double of the game to left center and scored Sperling and Crownover. Two batters later, Brown singled up the middle and scored Hill from second. Morgan Nelson followed with a single through the left side. With runners on first and second, Tremere Harris singled up the middle and drove in Brown. UCA held a 9-0 lead after four innings.
 
Ashley Minyard drew a one-out walk and then advanced on a ground out. The Leathernecks finally put a run on the board with a two-out single off of the bat of Sydney Hollings.
 
Sanchez picked up the win with a complete game. She recorded five strikeouts and gave up just one run. She moved to 3-2 on the season.
 
Hill led the offense with two hits and three RBIs. Brown went 2-for-2 on the day with an RBI and scored twice. Whitehouse also finished with two hits and a run scored. Shepherd went 2-for-2 at the plate and notched two RBIs. Sperling scored twice and drove in one run with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
 
Abby Carlin got the loss in the circle and fell to 1-2 on the year. She gave up 14 earned runs and struck out two UCA batters in her 3.2 innings of work. Savannah Rodriguez pitched 0.1 innings and struck out one batter.
 
Hollings led Western Illinois with a single and an RBI. Abrianna Gracia added the only other hit for the Leathernecks.
 
The Bears return to the diamond on Friday, March 5, for the first day of the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic. UCA opens the tournament with a game against MVSU at 2:30 p.m.
 
From the Coach – Head Coach David Kuhn
"It was a good weekend for the Bears! It's always good to go undefeated at home, especially to glorify and honor Michelle Short this weekend."

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