CONWAY, Ark. – Two games, two wins, as the Central Arkansas softball team swept Day One of the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic. The Bears opened the day with a 9-0 win over Pine Bluff before rounding out the day with a 5-2 triumph over Belmont.
Just like the last game against Pine Bluff, it was a big first inning that essentially put away the first game on Friday. Scoring six runs to open the day, the Bears would add three more runs to put away the Golden Lions.
Game two was similar in style, as the Bears used a solid first inning to build a lead that would stand for the rest of the game, but Belmont would put up a fight and plate a couple of runs of their own. The Bears would answer with one final run in the sixth to put the game away.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 9, Pine Bluff 0
The Bears started like they did a week ago, sitting down the Golden Lions in order in the top of the first before launching a run-scoring excursion. It took just three at bats to produce a run, as
Mary Kate Brown drove in
Tremere Harris with a double to right field. Brown was scored on the very next at bat, with
Jaylee Engelkes ripping one through the right side. Two batters later, freshman
Kylie Griffin picked up a double that drove in two more.
Emily Sampson drove in the fifth run of the inning, before
Morgan Nelson crossed the plate two batters later to score the sixth run of the first inning. The Bears recorded six runs on six hits, taking advantage of three Pine Bluff errors.
Later in the third inning, Central Arkansas scored two more runs on another Harris at bat. Bunting, the defense collapsed to cover the short attempt, which led to a missed throw that carried into the now-empty outfield, which allowed the Bears to clear the bases and pick up another pair of runs.
Emily Perry homered in the fourth to reach the final score.
Kayla Beaver got the win in the circle, striking out nine while allowing only three hits on the day. She moved to 5-1 with the decision, now with 41 strikeouts on the year.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 5, Belmont – 2
The Bears and Bruins battled in the second game of the day, and Central Arkansas got the offense going early again.
Jenna Wildeman crossed home on Brown's at bat, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Bears then took advantage of a Belmont error, scoring Harris.
Erin Blackburn scored the next pair with a single through the left side.
Belmont tried to come back in the third inning, getting a pair of runners on early. With runners at second and third, a single up the middle scored two runs, but that would be all that
Jordan Johnson would allow, scattering eight hits across four innings with seven strikeouts. The Bears brought Beaver back in to finish things off, and the sophomore did just that, throwing three clean innings to record her first save of the season.
Central Arkansas will wrap up the Adam Brown Shamrock Classic on Saturday, facing both teams again to close out the tournament.
