LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Central Arkansas softball team returned to action on Saturday to close out the three-game stint with McNeese. The Bears won the first game, 5-4, but dropped the second game, 5-3.
Mary Kate Brown led the UCA offense with a 4-for-7 day at the plate.
The Bears moved to 13-10 overall and 1-2 in Southland play, while the Cowgirls are 10-13 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
Game One – UCA 5, McNeese 4
The Cowgirls scored first in the bottom of the first on a sac fly to right field.
Tylar Vernon led off the top of the second with a four-pitch walk.
Reagan Sperling followed that with another walk for the Bears.
Tremere Harris belted a two-out double to left field and drove in Vernon and Sperling. UCA took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the second.
After Sperling led off the top of the fourth with a single to the shortstop,
Jaylee Engelkes recorded her first home run of the season with a shot to right center and extended the Central Arkansas lead to 4-1.
McNeese pulled within one in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer off of the bat of Cori McCrary and made the score 4-3 after five innings. The Cowgirls tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on an infield single from Toni Perrin.
Jenna Wildeman reached base safely on an error by the shortstop in the top of the seventh and then stole second to move into scoring position. Brown roped a double down the left field and scored Wildeman from second. That is all that was needed for
Kayla Beaver to secure the victory.
Jordan Johnson got the start in the circle for UCA and went 5.2 innings, but did not pick up a decision. She struck out six batters and gave up four runs, three earned, on just three hits. Beaver got the win and moved to 6-3 with her 1.1 innings of relief. She notched two strikeouts and gave up just one hit.
Brown went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Engelkes was 1-for-3 with a two-run blast. Sperling finished the game 1-for-1 with two walks. Harris picked up two RBIs in the game.
Saleen Flores got the start for McNeese and went one inning with an earned run. Ashley Vallejo got the loss and fell to 1-4 on the year. She went six innings in relief with two strikeouts and gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits.
Game Two – McNeese 5, UCA 3
After a scoreless first inning, Sperling drew a one-out walk to get things started in the top of the second. Engelkes followed with a single up the middle. With a 1-1 count,
Kristen Whitehouse got a pitch she liked and blasted the pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run. UCA took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the fifth, Chloe Gomez notched two RBIs on a single up the middle. Aaliyah Ortiz followed with a two-run homer to left and gave the Cowgirls a 4-3 lead. Gomez added an RBI in the bottom of the six on a single and put McNeese on top 5-3.
Rio Sanchez got the start for UCA and fell to 4-3 with the loss. She went 4.2 innings with one strikeout and surrendered four runs on seven hits. Beaver added 0.2 innings of relief with one earned run. Johnson also added 0.2 innings and faced just one batter.
Brown produced a 2-for-3 game at the plate. Whitehouse accounted for all three of UCA's runs with her three-run home run.
Jenna Edwards was the starter for McNeese, but did not earn a decision. She went 4.1 innings with three earned runs and tallied six strikeouts. Tate Whitney got the win with 2.2 innings of relief. She notched two strikeouts.
McCrary and Gomez led the Cowgirls at the plate as they both went 2-for-4 in the game. Gomez drove in three of the team's five runs.
UCA will be back on the diamond in Abilene, Texas for a three-game series at Abilene Christian. The series will start with a doubleheader on Friday, March 19, with a 5 p.m. first pitch.
From the Coach – Head Coach David Kuhn
"We could have won all three games, but we could have lost all three as well. McNeese has a good team. They play hard and are well coached."
Follow the Bears
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
