STARKVILLE, Miss. – Day One of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic is in the books, with the Bears splitting a pair of games on Friday. After opening the day with a 7-4 win over Georgia Tech, Central Arkansas fell 11-3 to host Mississippi State to close out the evening.
 
Kristen Whitehouse had a big day at the plate, recording five RBI on the day, with four coming on a single swing against the Jackets. She added three hits and a run to her Friday statline. Tremere Harris led the Bears with four hits through the first two games of the weekend.
 
Game One – Central Arkansas 7, Georgia Tech 4
In another first-time matchup for the Bears this season, the Jackets got off to a fast start in response to an early run from Central Arkansas. Jenna Wildeman got on base with a single, stole second and was moved to third on a groundout by Harris. Mary Kate Brown then proceeded to drive in Wildeman despite grounding out, giving the Bears an early 1-0 lead. Georgia Tech would answer in its half of the inning on a three-run homer.
 
That score would hold until the fifth inning, where the Bears would unload in the top half of the frame. Wildeman reached on an error, then was moved to second on a groundout. Brown singled to move Wildeman to third. Jaylee Engelkes was walked, loading the bases with two outs. Emily Perry made an appearance as a pinch hitter, showing patience at the plate and getting herself walked, scoring Wildeman. In came Whitehouse, who took a 1-2 count and kissed it goodbye, smashing a grand slam to put the Bears back in front 6-3.
 
Each team would score one more run in the game before Kayla Beaver came in to pitch in the seventh, retiring three-straight to end the game. The win marked the first win over Georgia Tech in the first meeting between the teams.
 
Game Two – Central Arkansas 3, Mississippi State 11
Mississippi State jumped out early against the Bears in the night cap, in a game that ended up being a rough one for Central Arkansas. Scoring the first run again, the Bears looked to threaten early as Brown again drove in Wildeman, but a pair of homers in the first inning built a 4-1 lead for the Bulldogs. The scoring would look the exact same in the second, with the Bears tacking on one before the hosts added four more.
 
Despite Central Arkansas scoring in each of the first three innings, the offense being generated wasn't enough to complete a comeback, as the Bulldogs forced a run rule ending in the sixth, claiming an eight-run lead.
 
Central Arkansas continues the Bulldog Kickoff Classic tomorrow, playing Mississippi State again at 3 p.m. before facing another new opponent in Southern Illinois to close the day at a scheduled time of 5:30 p.m. The Mississippi State game will be available on ESPN+, and live stats are available for both the Mississippi State game and the Southern Illinois game.