NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Central Arkansas softball team experienced the dichotomy of the sport in its doubleheader wins over Lipscomb on Saturday, winning both an ugly game one that needed extra innings and a picture-perfect game two that only needed five.
 
The wins improved the Bears to 19-24 overall and 10-7 in ASUN games. Morgan Nelson had two home runs in the second game, and the Bears hit .356 on the day. Bailie Runner stepped up to the plate and delivered the first hit of her college career in game two.
 
Game One: Central Arkansas – 3, Lipscomb – 1 (8 innings)
The Bears opened the series reaching on a pair of errors on the first two plate appearances, and loaded the bases with no outs. Morgan Nelson capped the run with a walk of her own, scoring Kylie Griffin for the first run of the day. But after allowing a runner for the Bisons in the home half of the inning, the offenses both just stopped.
 
Central Arkansas had a pair of baserunners on at the same time in the third, but otherwise neither team could piece much together in the way of baserunning. Even through the fifth inning, neither side could mount much of an offense, stranding a runner here and there without moving past second.
 
Lipscomb finally got it going in the sixth inning, putting down three-straight singles to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1, and it seemed as though this one could slip through the Bears' fingers. But a fielder's choice and a groundout ended the threat, and sent the game to the seventh all knotted up. Kylie Griffin was tagged out at home with two outs to give the home team a chance in the bottom of the frame, but the defense locked in and sent the game to extras.
 
Tremere Harris started the eighth with a single, and moved bases on an error and a sacrifice bunt to end up at third with just one out. Gracie St. Hilaire beamed one to center field, scoring a pair of runs to make it 3-1. After letting the first Lipscomb hitter on, the Bears took care of business, retiring the next three to claim game one.
 
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 15, Lipscomb – 0 (5 innings)
Game two didn't start all that differently from the first game, Kylie Griffin reached on an error, stole second and scored on a single by Lilly Hood, another 1-0 start for the Bears. Julia Petty retired the lineup in order through the first three innings, and it felt like the second game was going to be a quick, low-scoring affair. Petty would end up recording her fourth solo shutout of the season with the win.
 
But then the bats got going in the fifth inning, and that's probably an understatement. Bailie Runner, as the designated player, got the inning started with a single to left, her first collegiate hit. Amiyah Collier came in to pinch run, and she would advance to third on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. Renee Christian, taking advantage of where the defense was, turned a routine bunt into a double with the defense trying to hold Collier on third. Griffin got on base the same way, taking advantage of the defense trying to hold Collier from scoring, and the bases were loaded.
 
Tremere Harris singled to center, scoring a pair of runs, and Hood loaded the bases again with a single of her own. Morgan Nelson came to the plate and needed three pitches to decide that she was sending one to the great beyond, obliterating a grand slam to break open the scoring for a 7-0 lead. With the bases empty, Gracie St. Hilaire got things going again after getting hit by a pitch. McKayla Betts singled to move her to second. Runner came back in for Collier, and drew a walk, loading the bases again. Kennedy Fisher struck a well-hit single to left field, scoring a run. Christian offered herself on a sac fly, and Griffin drove in her game one pitcher with a single of her own.
 
Now up 10, the Bears weren't done. Harris doubled down the line to score Fisher, and Hood cleared both remaining baserunners with a double of her own. So with a runner on second, Nelson came back to the plate and exploded on her second pitch, adding the final two runs to a 14-run fifth inning. It marked the sixth-straight year that the Bears have notched a 15-run game, and eclipsed the 13-run inning from last season's NCAA Regional win over Long Island. Nelson's two home run day was the fourth of her career, and her second such game against Lipscomb, having also hit two bombs against the Bisons in 2022. Her six RBI in the game tied a personal best, and was the third such game for her against Lipscomb.
 
Central Arkansas plays one more against Lipscomb on Sunday, closing the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch in Nashville.