MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Pitching and defense came up in a big way on Thursday for the softball team, as the team allowed a combined one run over two games against Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana. The Bears defeated the Tigers 1-0 before using a big fifth inning against the Lions to win 6-1. The pair of wins extended Central Arkansas' winning streak to eight games, with a second win over an American Athletic Conference opponent this season to go along with a victory over an old Southland Conference nemesis.
 
The Bears had nine hits against Memphis, but ironically scored the only run of the game on a throwing error by the host team. Then, after falling behind in the second game, Central Arkansas took advantage of multiple fifth-inning errors by Southeastern Louisiana to jump ahead once and for all.
 
Game One: Central Arkansas – 1, Memphis – 0
The first outing of the day came down to which pitcher and which defense was going to break first. Central Arkansas was the more successful team in forcing the other to bend, but Memphis was able to hold strong, allowing hits in the first four innings, but keeping the Bears from crossing home plate.
 
Finally, the Memphis defense made the critical error in the fifth inning. After Tylar Vernon doubled to center field, a throwing error on the next at bat allowed her to score, marking the only run of the game. The Tigers would answer with a double in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn't finish it off to tie the game.
 
Kayla Beaver got the win in the circle, improving her record to 8-1 on the year. Though the strikeouts weren't piling up, ringing up only three batters, she kept hitters on the ground, inducing 16 groundouts. Jenna Wildeman stretched her streak of stolen bases to eight in her last four games, raising her season total to 22 bases in 19 games.
 
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 6, Southeastern Louisiana – 1
For the first half of the Bears' second game, the flow felt very similar to Central Arkansas' first game, with both teams struggling to find consistent offense. Then in the third, Southeastern Louisiana's Cam Goodman singled and stole second. Getting moved to third tagging up on a flyout, she scored on a wild pitch, marking the only run of the first four innings. To that point, the Bears had only managed one hit, looking for adjustments the next time through the lineup.
 
The momentum shifted in the fifth as Emily Perry started things off with a leadoff single. Kylie Griffin followed her up with a single of her own, putting runners on first and second. Then with two outs, Wildeman singled, loading the bases and putting pressure on the Lions for the first time.
 
Tremere Harris singled to tie the game at one apiece, before Mary Kate Brown reached on an error, scoring Griffin to give Central Arkansas the lead and the bases still loaded. Jaylee Engelkes, with a history of big hits with the bases loaded, connected on a 2-RBI single to increase the lead to 4-1. A dropped fly ball in the outfield allowed two more to come through, marking six runs on four-straight at bats by the Bears.
 
From there, the defense locked in and held the Lions from scoring again, giving Jordan Johnson the victory, scattering six hits across seven innings with four strikeouts.
 
Central Arkansas is back in action on Friday, playing the morning game against South Dakota at 9:30 a.m., before taking on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at 2 p.m.