RUSTON, La. – The Central Arkansas softball team opened its weekend at Louisiana Tech in dominant fashion, earning two high-scoring wins to start the Bulldog Classic. The Bears started the day off with a 12-6 win over Northern Iowa, then completed the day run-ruling the hosts, downing Louisiana Tech 10-2.
 
Game One: Central Arkansas – 12, Northern Iowa – 6
Despite the final score, it was the Panthers that logged the first run of the day, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning. The middle of the lineup answered in the top of the second, however, starting with a double from Emma Robertson. Grace Molitor got on base with a single, and back-to-back walks from Lilly Hood and Autumn Vessier brought Robertson around to score.
 
Northern Iowa retook the lead in the home half of the inning, but the Bears weren't done, not by a long shot. After two quick outs, Robertson again started things off with a base hit. An error let LJ Smith get on base, and Molitor capitalized on the miscue with a moon shot, her third on the year, scoring the three runs to put the Bears in front 4-2. Northern Iowa answered with one in the bottom of the inning, but Central Arkansas maintained the lead heading into the later innings of the game.
 
The Bears broke the game open in the fourth. Vessier walked to start the frame, and moved to third on a Renee Christian single. Christian stole second for her team-leading ninth stolen base of the year, and Addie Graham scored both runners with a single to center field. Trinity Brandon doubled to put herself and Graham in scoring position, and a groundout advanced Graham home and Brandon to third. Brandon scored a couple of batters later on a Molitor sacrifice fly, and for those of you counting at home, the score was now 8-3 after four innings.
 
The top of the lineup scored one more run in the fifth inning, an RBI double from Kaitlyn Graham that stretched the lead to six runs. Northern Iowa cut the lead to three late in the game with a few more runs, but Central Arkansas answered in the seventh. Christian and Graham each had hits to start the inning, and an error on the defense allowed both runners to score. A groundout later in the inning let Brandon score for the second time in the game, and Central Arkansas held on for the six-run win.
 
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 10, Louisiana Tech – 2
This game, it was Central Arkansas that struck first. With one out in the first, Addie Graham bashed a triple to center field, and she scored on the next at bat via another hit to center field by Trinity Brandon. La Tech tied the game in the bottom of the first, but it was clear that the momentum from the first game of the day was going to carry to the second.
 
Brandon, already swinging a hot bat, homered in the third inning, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead. Kaitlyn Graham followed that up with a double, and an LJ Smith base hit scored her to add to the lead. Grace Molitor, also seeing the ball well, doubled to move Smith to third base, and Lilly Hood sent both runners home with a single to left field, making it 5-1 in the blink of an eye.
 
Louisiana Tech scored its final run in the third, scoring on four-straight plate appearances that moved runners. But Central Arkansas went back to the plate looking to put this one away, and continued to pass the bat in the top of the fourth. Addie Graham walked, and a wild pitch moved her to second. Brandon walked, and the pair moved again on another wild pitch. A groundout advanced both runners, scoring Graham from third. Emma Robertson punched a double to left center to score Brandon, and the lead was 7-2.
 
The rest of the work got completed in the top of the fifth. Autumn Vessier got on board with a bunt single, and Renee Christian's single allowed Vessier to reach third. Christian stole second, but the fun on the basepaths became unnecessary when Graham powered a homer, scoring three runs and putting the Bears at the all-important eight run margin. The defense took care of business in the bottom of the inning, and Central Arkansas walked away winners of both games on the day.
 
The Bears have just one game on each day this weekend, getting Stephen F. Austin tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., then Louisiana Tech again on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.