CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team is on the road for back-to-back midweek games, playing Missouri State on Tuesday at 4 p.m. before taking on Tulsa on Wednesday at 5 p.m. It marks just the second road trip for the team since late February, after playing 16 of the last 17 at home.
The Bears (8-19, 0-3 ASUN) couldn't capture a win against Eastern Kentucky this past weekend, losing the series to the Colonels. Though the team showed signs of improvement throughout the weekend, the Bears couldn't close the gap in time. By the end of the series,
Morgan Nelson and
Lilly Hood each had two-hit days in game three, and
Gracie St. Hilaire has shown great at bats, taking a walk in four of her last five games.
Central Arkansas has had success against Missouri State recently, winning three-straight meetings, including both last season. Playing both games in Conway, the home team pulled off a pair of wins allowing just a single run in each. Nelson had an extra base hit in each game, and
Kylie Griffin scored a pair of runs with a double of her own in game one.
Likewise, the Bears won a matchup with Tulsa last season, winning 5-4 at home after scoring four in the seventh inning.
Tremere Harris drove in a run with a single to left field, and Griffin scored a second run on the next at bat. A wild pitch scored Harris, and three four-pitch walks, the last to
Colleen Bare, drove in the game-winning run.
This season's Missouri State team is 5-16, having picked up a Missouri Valley Conference series win over Illinois State this past weekend. The Bears scored 19 runs over three games, winning on Friday and Sunday to take the series.
The Bears tallied 29 hits across the three games, including 13 in game three, batting .372 for the weekend. Kayla Ulrich had seven of those hits, which helped her raise her batting average to a team-high .381. The freshman infielder nearly doubled her season total against Illinois State, and now has 16 hits on the year.
Tulsa (18-8) plays Oklahoma State before welcoming the Bears to town, and is 5-1 through two American Athletic Conference series. After sweeping Memphis to open the conference slate, the Golden Hurricane took two of three from South Florida this past weekend. Splitting the first two games, Tulsa took care of business in game three, winning 6-2 over the Bulls.
The Golden Hurricane are led by MacKenzie Denson at the plate, with the senior hitting .449 across 89 at bats. Through 26 games, Tulsa has 243 hits, averaging nearly ten a game. Additionally, the team has 48 stolen bases and three players with ten or more already this season. In the circle, Tulsa has three pitchers with at least five wins, and a team ERA of 3.87.
First pitch on Tuesday is set for 4 p.m. in Springfield, Missouri. On Wednesday, the Bears take on Tulsa at 5 p.m. The battle of the Bears will be streamed on ESPN+, and the game against the Golden Hurricane will be on Hurricane Vision.
