CONWAY, Ark. – For the fourth time this season, the Central Arkansas softball team completed a series sweep, defeating Jacksonville State 2-1 on Saturday. With the win, the Bears clinched the No. 2 Seed in the ASUN Championship, earning a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament.
 
The Bears (33-18, 17-7 ASUN) won game three in a war of attrition, reclaiming the lead in the fifth inning and holding on late for the win. Kayla Beaver came in in the sixth inning and delivered her third save of the season, giving up just a single walk in her 1.1 innings of work. Jordan Johnson won her 13^th game of the season after striking out six in 5.2 innings, scattering five hits.
 
Central Arkansas got the scoring off quickly, as Jenna Wildeman led off with a single, her 64^th hit of the season. After Wildeman advanced to second, Mary Kate Brown came up and drilled a single to left center to bring the speedster home. Johnson kept the Gamecocks off the board in the second, striking out three of four batters in the top of the inning.
 
Jacksonville State tied things up in the third frame, hitting a long single to left field that allowed a runner from second to score. The 1-1 score would hold for a couple of innings, as both pitchers maintained control of the lineups through the heart of the game.
 
Into the bottom of the fifth inning, Reagan Sperling connected on a first-pitch single into the outfield, establishing a runner straight out of the gates. Wildeman moved her over to second base, and Harris got aboard with her 24^th walk of the year. With two outs, Jaylee Engelkes roped a single to centerfield, moving both runners and scoring Sperling to retake the lead.
 
From there, Johnson and Beaver combined to shut down a comeback attempt, allowing just three baserunners the remainder of the game. Putting the icing on the cake, Beaver struck out the final batter of the game, capping the sweep in style.
 
The win locked up the No. 2 Seed in the ASUN Championship, putting a feather in the cap of a team that won six conference series in its first season as a member of the ASUN. Using a tough combination of its hitting and pitching, the Bears finished the regular season as the only team with a top-two batting average and a top-three ERA.
 
All eyes now turn to the conference tournament, where the stage will be finalized Saturday evening. With the 2 seed in hand, the Bears will play their first game of the postseason on Thursday, May 12, against the winner of the first play-in game and North Florida.