MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A huge offensive effort to start the day tied a Central Arkansas softball program record with nine-consecutive wins, as the Bears defeated South Dakota Friday morning. In the second game of the day, Central Arkansas fell to No. 10 Oklahoma State, moving the Bears' record to 14-8 on the season.
Central Arkansas found offense early in the first game with the Coyotes, adding success from the long ball to the ledger.
Tylar Vernon hit two home runs, registering five RBI on the day. The win also marked the third time this season the Bears have tallied 10-plus runs.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 12, South Dakota – 2
The Bears got off to a blistering start against the Coyotes. After
Jenna Wildeman got on base with a single, the subsequent batters showed excellent patience in the box, drawing four-straight walks, bringing in Wildeman and
Tremere Harris for scores.
Emily Perry hit a sacrifice fly to score
Mary Kate Brown before Vernon smacked her first homer of the season to score three more runs, bringing the first inning total to six runs for the Bears. South Dakota picked up a run in the second, narrowing the lead to five.
Jaylee Engelkes homered in the top of the third, crushing one out beyond the centerfield wall, marking the second homer of the day for the Bears, the first multi-home run game of the season.
The Bears would add three more in the fourth inning, scoring on a double by Harris and a sacrifice fly by Brown. South Dakota added one in the bottom half of the frame, but pitcher
Jordan Johnson kept hitters guessing all morning, striking out 11 in five innings.
Vernon homered again in the top of the fifth, icing the game as the Bears reached double-digit runs. Vernon became the first Central Arkansas player to homer multiple times in a game since Kaylyn Shepard hit two long balls on May 14 of last season.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 1, #10 Oklahoma State – 14
Central Arkansas was in the game against another ranked opponent, trading runs in the first inning. After giving up a pair of runs in the top half of the inning, the Bears responded with three singles in the bottom half of the frame, scoring Harris from second base.
The momentum shifted very quickly in favor of the Cowgirls, as the offense put up eight in the third and continued on from there.
Falling to Oklahoma State snapped a nine-game winning streak for Central Arkansas, tying the longest winning streak in program history.
Central Arkansas will play one more game on Saturday, facing the Southeastern Louisiana Lions for the second time this weekend. First pitch is at a rescheduled 12 p.m.
