FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Central Arkansas softball team started the ASUN era by splitting a pair of games against Florida Gulf Coast Saturday afternoon. After claiming the first outing 7-2, the Bears dropped the second game 3-2.
The offense was humming in Game One, led by
Mary Kate Brown's four RBI.
Tremere Harris picked up a pair of stolen bases and the Bears recorded their eighth game of 10-plus hits on the year to open the conference schedule. Closing the day, the bats weren't quite the same in the second half of the split, despite a sixth inning home run from
Jaylee Engelkes.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 7, FGCU – 2
After a scoreless first couple of innings, the Bears finally came alive in the third.
Tylar Vernon walked to start things off, and was moved to second on a
Jenna Wildeman single. Harris moved her to third on a fielder's choice and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. From there, Brown battled through a full count to rock a single to center field, bringing both runners around. FGCU would answer in the bottom half of the frame, trying things at two apiece.
Central Arkansas would take the lead back in the fourth, with the bases loaded, Wildeman and Harris put down back-to-back singles, each scoring a run in the process.
Growing the lead late, the Bears loaded the bases again in the seventh. Scoring on a fielding error,
Kylie Griffin crossed home plate to make it a 5-2 lead. A couple of batters later, Brown again came through with a single to center field, driving home
Lexi McClellan and Wildeman for RBIs three and four.
Kayla Beaver picked up her ninth win of the season, scattering six hits before retiring the final three batters in seven pitches.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 2, FGCU – 3
Right off the bat, it seemed as though the momentum from Game One would carry into the second game.
Jenna Wildeman led off with a single and was able to advance on a wild pitch and a passed ball, reaching third base without the aid of another batter. She then was helped home as
Tremere Harris grounded out to the second baseman.
Until the fifth inning, a 1-0 lead seemed all that was necessary, as
Jordan Johnson and the defense held the Eagles scoreless for the first half of the game. That all changed when FGCU hit a three-run homer to take the lead.
Engelkes led off the sixth with a homer of her own, bringing the lead down to just one run, but the Bears were unable to make anything else happen.
With one game left in the series, the Bears and Eagles will face off for the series win on Sunday, playing at noon CT.
