CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas (6-4) secured a 5-1 victory over South Dakota State University (3-6) on Friday at Bear Stadium in Game 1 of the 3 game series. The game featured a strong performance from Central Arkansas' pitching staff, which allowed only four hits and struck out nine batters.
Central Arkansas opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI groundout from
Zeb Allen that brought home
Nate Negre, who had previously tripled to left center. The score was 1-0 in favor of the home team after the first inning.
The fourth inning saw the home team extend its lead. Negre singled to right field and was driven home by Allen's two-run homer to right field. This increased Central Arkansas's advantage to 3-0 through four innings.
In the sixth inning, the Jackrabbits got on the board with a solo home run by Grawe. However, Central Arkansas responded in the bottom half when
Parker Gwyn singled through the left side to score Allen, who had singled and advanced to third on a groundout. The inning concluded with Central Arkansas leading 4-1.
The Bears added another run in the seventh inning. After singles from
Casey Shipley and
Jayden Sloan, Allen singled through the right side to drive in Shipley. Central Arkansas led 5-1 after seven innings.
Denver Hamilton delivered a strong performance on the mound, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing only four hits and one earned run while striking out five batters. He managed to navigate through 26 batters with 89 pitches, 56 of which were strikes, and maintained control despite a solo home run.
Braxton Haywood followed with 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief, striking out three and issuing one walk, contributing to a clean slate.
Hunter Alexander closed the game, pitching a flawless ninth inning with one strikeout, ensuring no hits or walks.
Zeb Allen
- 3 hits
- 4 RBIs
- 1 home run
- 2 stolen bases
Denver Hamilton
- 6 1/3 innings pitched
- 5 strikeouts
- 1 earned run
Nate Negre
- 2 runs
- 2 hits
- 1 triple
Up next for the Bears is a home game against South Dakota State. The matchup is set for Saturday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. at Bear Stadium.
