CLEARWATER, Fla. – Playing the last of five games in Clearwater, Florida, the Central Arkansas softball team dropped its final outing in the Sunshine State on Sunday, falling 3-2 to South Alabama.
 
The Bears came just 60 feet from tying the game in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't quite finish the Jaguars off. Bailie Runner pitched another solid outing, scattering eight hits and allowing just two earned runs. Runner lowered her ERA to 1.67 with the decision, striking out three batters.
 
Central Arkansas' defense held firm through the first several innings while the offense figured things out. South Alabama finally struck in the top of the third, pairing a miscue in left field with a triple to score two runs. Runner calmed things down, striking out the next batter on a swing-and-miss third strike.
 
But the Bears responded immediately, as Colleen Bare opened the home half of the inning with a big double. Lilly Hood punched a ball to almost the exact same spot, drawing a diving attempt from the defender, who did not come down with it. With a defender out of the picture, Hood was able to turn it into a triple, sending Bare home. Two batters later, Kylie Griffin hit the team's third extra base hit of the inning, driving in Hood to tie the game.
 
With the score tied, the Bears felt like they were rolling, taking back momentum from the Jaguars. And indeed, Central Arkansas retired the first two batters of the inning. But the Jags stayed active, hitting a two-out single and parlaying it with an error on the next play to turn it into a run.
 
Down to their last inning, the Bears continued to fight, opening the seventh frame with a walk by Renee Christian. Two batters later, Emma Veach took one off the arm, putting a runner in scoring position. A groundout moved the runners 60 more feet, putting the Bears a base away from tying the game, but the ensuing at bat resulted in a pop-up, ending the bid.
 
Runner was named to the All-Tournament Team after tossing three complete games in her first weekend in Purple and Gray. The Oklahoma State transfer had control of each of her outings, picking up the team's first win in 2024 with the triumph over St. John's.
 
Central Arkansas heads to Louisiana for the next weekend, playing in McNeese's Cowboy Classic. While in Lake Charles, the Bears will face Lamar, McNeese and the reigning champion Oklahoma Sooners.