BATON ROUGE, La. – Facing the No. 18 LSU Tigers again in the final game of the LSU Tiger Classic, the Bears fell to the SEC squad, dropping a 3-1 final score.
 
After struggling to score a run in the last time out against LSU, Central Arkansas (7-2) was the team to score first in the rematch, but once again, the Tiger pitching proved to be tough to figure out.
 
Three scoreless innings started the Sunday matinee, despite each side getting base runners. Each side saw runners in all three of the first few innings, but solid defense and timely strikeouts kept runs off the board. Finally, in the fourth inning, Central Arkansas was able to tack one on in the top of the frame. Morgan Nelson reached first base on a fielding error, and a pinch-running McKayla Betts moved over to second on a groundout. Two batters later, Josie Willingham connected on a pitch, sending it out to right field, scoring Betts for a 1-0 lead for the Bears. The RBI marked the first of the season for Willingham, and is the eighth Bear to drive in a run this year.
 
But the Tigers took the lead in the home half of the inning, loading the bases with one out and putting Central Arkansas in a tough situation. After striking out the fifth batter of the inning, the Bears gave up back-to-back scores, relinquishing the lead but keeping it to just a 2-1 deficit. LSU added one more run in the sixth, capitalizing on a wild pitch, and the Bears were unable to answer in the seventh, dropping just the second game of the season.
 
Central Arkansas, after nine games on the road to start the year, will finally play at Farris Field on Friday, hosting the Michelle Short Memorial Classic over the weekend. The Bears' first game of the tournament is against Mississippi Valley State, playing the Devilettes at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.