CONWAY, Ark. – Day one of the Milisa Moore Tournament resulted in a split for the Central Arkansas softball team, falling to Louisiana before taking control over Stephen F. Austin. The Bears picked up win number five at home against the Lumberjacks, felling the visitors 5-1.
The Bears moved to 7-14 on the season with the split, and 5-6 at home. Central Arkansas is 5-5 in tournaments at home, thanks to a dynamite pitching performance from
Bailie Runner.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 4, Louisiana – 7
The Ragin' Cajuns got the scoring started in the second inning, hitting a two-run shot to break the scoreless game open. The Bears answered in the third, moving
Kylie Griffin around the bases to plate a run to cut into the lead.
A four-run fifth from Louisiana was a tough hole to climb out of for the Bears, and the deficit grew to six at the halfway point of the seventh. But Central Arkansas fought to its final out. Three-straight plate appearances loaded the bases with zero outs.
Tremere Harris doubled down the line to score two, trimming the lead to four. Two at bats later, Griffin scored again to get within three, but the rope ran out before the Bears could score anymore.
Two Bears made their debuts against the Ragin' Cajuns,
McKayla Betts returned from injury to make her return to shortstop, and
Reese Parker made her pitching debut in Purple and Gray.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 5, Stephen F. Austin – 1
The Bears flipped the script in game two, using some of the momentum from the seventh inning of game one to roll on against the Lumberjacks.
Renee Christian singled on the first pitch of the game, and plate appearance by plate appearance, circled the bases, scoring on a sacrifice fly from
Morgan Nelson.
Bailie Runner eviscerated the Jacks in the second inning, needing just 11 pitches to sit down the three batters. Both offenses slowed until the bottom of the third, before Christian got on board again with a walk. Just like in the first, the freshman outfielder slowly but surely rounded the bases, scoring on a wild pitch four batters later to increase the lead to two.
The lead grew to its largest in the fifth inning.
Kylie Griffin put herself on base with a single, and two batters later, Nelson bashed a double to left center to score Griffin. Gracie St. Hilare slashed a single up the middle to score
Tremere Harris, and
Lilly Hood reached base to score a pinch-running
Maddie Hickman.
Meanwhile, the Lumberjacks couldn't generate much against Runner and the defense. The Oklahoma State transfer struck out seven while scattering seven hits, finally giving up a single run in the top of the seventh. But the junior showed poise throughout, never letting the hits pile up in a single inning, and never getting out of sorts when pitches weren't finding their mark.
The schedule repeats on Sunday, just an hour forward from Saturday's slate. The Bears take on Louisiana at 1:30 p.m., then follow it up with Stephen F. Austin afterwards. Both games will be on ESPN+ as part of the final day of the Milisa Moore Tournament.
