LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Continuing their shutout ways, the softball Bears picked up a fifth series win in conference play after winning both sets of a doubleheader against Bellarmine on Saturday. The wins add to an already impressive win streak that now extends to 11 games, a program record.
 
Two wins improved Central Arkansas to 30-8 on the year, now 13-1 in ASUN games. Both Jordan Johnson and Kayla Beaver added shutouts to their lists of wins, and Tremere Harris had a field day on the basepaths in game two, swiping three times in the six-inning, run-rule finish.
 
Game One: Central Arkansas – 3, Bellarmine – 0
The first outing of the weekend started how most games this season have: Tremere Harris got on base. This time, it was with a single through the left side. Madi Young would also hit a single in the first, but the Bears couldn't bring any runs home, sending Jordan Johnson and the defense out to the field.
 
Johnson came out guns blazing, striking out the first two batters to plant the seeds of futility in the Bellarmine lineup. Kylie Griffin would retire the third batter of the first in foul territory, and the first would end scoreless.
 
Morgan Nelson opened the second reaching on a fielding error, and moved to second on a walk drawn by Colleen Bare. A few at bats later, Jenna Wildeman punched one down the left line, scoring Bella Barnes, who came in to pinch run for Nelson. The two-out RBI would prove massive for the Bears, as the offense struggled to plate runs through the middle of the game.
 
Back in the circle, Johnson continued to toy with the Knights, pulling the string on off-speed pitches to send the first two batters back to the dugout. And though Bellarmine would come up with its first hit of the afternoon, it amounted to nothing, and continued to mean nothing as the innings went by. Johnson would strike out seven in game one, walking just two and giving up only two hits.
 
The Bears added two more runs in the sixth inning to ice the game, Nelson led off with a single that zipped through the left side. She was replaced on first by Bare, who reached on a fielder's choice. Jaylee Engelkes sent Bare to third with a deep single to right center, putting runners on the corners with one out. McKayla Betts was put in the game to run for Engelkes, and the freshman immediately stole second. Erin Michael, pinch hitting, drove in a run on a grounder to second to record her third RBI of the season. Jenna Wildeman added one final run reaching on an error, forcing an errant throw from the Knight pitcher to allow Betts to score.
 
Game one's win marked the tenth in a row for Central Arkansas, setting the program-mark for consecutive wins. It also marked the 47^th career win for Johnson; the senior is third all-time in victories in the circle, a mark she reached earlier this season.
 
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 8, Bellarmine – 0
The Bears wasted little time opening up a lead, however small, to start the second half of the doubleheader. Tremere Harris again reached safely, this time on an error by the second baseman. Harris then punished the Knights for letting her on base by stealing second. Kylie Griffin walked to put two runners on, and back-to-back groundouts moved Harris to third and then home, putting the first run on the board.
 
Bellarmine's Anna Greenwell, hitting at the second spot, got on base with a single of her own with one out. But the infield defenders of Central Arkansas made sure she wouldn't cause any problems, eliminating her on a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning, the 15^th turn of the season for the Bears.
 
Central Arkansas struck again in the third, as Harris reached on a single with one out. Once more, the speedster took second base, reclaiming team lead. Griffin smacked a single to left field, allowing Harris to make it to third base; Griffin would follow it up stealing second as well, putting a pair in scoring position with one out. Madi Young walked to load the bases, and Mary Kate Brown made sure a run got in, hitting one deep for a sacrifice fly to add one to the lead.
 
The offense continued to churn in the next inning, led off by a Colleen Bare walk. The freshman moved to third on a Jaylee Engelkes double to the right corner. Janiah Wilson, pinch hitting for Josie Willingham, drew herself a walk, then was replaced again by Willingham. Jenna Wildeman, with bases loaded, sprinted for an infield single, scoring Bare while keeping the bases loaded. Harris grounded out, but with only one out before her at bat, Bella Barnes was able to scamper home to make it a 4-0 lead after four. Bellarmine went three up and three down to keep the Bears moving, putting three balls on the ground for a quick defensive inning by the infield.
 
Brown opened the fifth with a double, blasting one to the right center wall to welcome Bellarmine's second pitcher of the game. Nelson singled to advance Brown to third, and Bare drove her home with a ball that zipped through the right side. Central Arkansas added three more in the sixth, Harris reaching on a single and stealing second for the third time in game two. It marked the third-career game of three steals for the junior, who had three of the five for the Bears in game two. She would score on a single by Madi Young, crossing home for the third time in the game. With a runner on second, Brown reached on a fielding error, allowing a pinch-running McKayla Betts to reach third. The pair were sent home on a towering single to center field by Bare, setting up the run rule win with the lead at eight runs.
 
A strikeout and two groundouts later, the Bears had claimed win number 30 on the season. Bare had one of the best lines of her season, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Beaver tossed another shutout, striking out four and walking zero. Including Tuesday's win over Arkansas, the junior pitcher has 12 strikeouts and zero walks allowed, throwing two shutouts. She has stretched her streak of innings without allowing an earned run to 37.1 straight innings, last giving up an earned run on March 25th against North Alabama.
 
The Bears and Knights will play one more on Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. CT to wrap up the series with Bellarmine.