CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team split a pair of games on Saturday, dropping the opening game of day two of the Michelle Short Memorial Classic to South Dakota State before picking up a big-time win over Southern Illinois.
Saturday's results moves the Bears to 3-10 on the season, and gave the team its first run-rule win of the year.
Julia Petty picked up her first win of the season in the win over the Salukis, coming in relief in the fourth inning and shutting the visitors down.
Game One: South Dakota State – 8, Central Arkansas – 1
Central Arkansas scored the first run of the game against the Jackrabbits in the second inning, opening the frame with
Morgan Nelson getting hit by a pitch.
Colleen Bare was walked, moving Nelson into scoring position. Two batters later,
Lilly Hood smashed a double to left center, allowing a pinch-running
Tallulah Pascucci to make the trip home.
South Dakota State tied the game in the next half inning, using some heads up baserunning to maneuver to third before a single to the outfield drove in the run. The Bears continued to put runners on, but just couldn't find that final piece of the puzzle to bring scores home. Meanwhile, the Jackrabbits had no problems doing that, adding runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings to take the first game of the day.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 11, Southern Illinois – 2
In the second game of the day for the Bears, it was the visiting team that scored the first run: the Salukis needed just two at bats to score the first run of the game. Two innings later, Southern Illinois scored again, pairing a walk and a single to the outfield to make it 2-0 before the home half of the third inning.
Lilly Hood opened up the bottom of the third with a single up the middle, finally sparking some kind of offense for the Bears. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, moving just 60 feet from home with a single out on the scoreboard.
Kylie Griffin finished the job, scorching a single through the right side for the RBI. Then, back-to-back-to-back singles/walks from
Renee Christian,
Tremere Harris and
Morgan Nelson moved Griffin around the horn and finally home, knotting the score after three innings.
Offenses slowed down after that, as both pitching staffs and defenses locked back in. It wouldn't be until the sixth inning that the Bears would mount offense again, and boy, did they.
Colleen Bare singled to open the frame, moving to second on a
Gracie St. Hilaire single. The duo advanced 60 feet thanks to a
Kennedy Fisher sacrifice bunt, and then scored on a double from Hood.
Madison Connolly-Hojas walked, and she and Hood advanced on a wild pitch. Griffin walked on five pitches, loading the bases.
Christian and Harris followed up with walks, bringing two more runs home and stretching the lead to 6-2. A single from Nelson scored Griffin from third and Christian from second, and the Bears were rolling with no signs of stopping. Bare took a pitch to the body, reloading the bases, and St. Hilaire finished the day with a triple to the far right corner of Farris Field, emptying the bases and capping the lead at nine.
Central Arkansas has one more game this weekend, facing South Dakota State first thing in the morning to close the Michelle Short Memorial Classic. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. at Farris Field.
