HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Central Arkansas softball team started its 2026 campaign with a split day one, controlling South Dakota before coming up just short in a comeback bid against Creighton.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 7, South Dakota – 3
The opening few innings against the Yotes was a bit of a pitchers' duel, or at least, neither offense generated much action. Central Arkansas threatened in the first inning, getting
Addie Graham on with a single, and a steal.
Kaitlyn Graham walked and stole second, putting two runners in scoring position with one out. But unfortunately, the next two batters couldn't bring in either runner, and the score remained zeroes.
The Bears finally struck first in the fourth inning.
Emma Robertson walked, and
Renee Christian came in to pinch run. Christian immediately stole second, and then third as
Emma Veach got on base and stole second.
Grace Molitor capped the scoring inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, sending her first run home in Purple and Gray. But in the bottom of the frame, South Dakota tacked on two runs, taking a 2-1 lead into the fifth.
In the nine hole to start the fifth,
LJ Smith walked, battling a full count to get on board. Graham singled to put two runners on, and
Trinity Brandon added a single to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed all three runners to move up, scoring Smith. A dropped fly ball off the bat of Graham scored another, and after the bases were reloaded, Veach hit a sacrifice fly of her own, scoring three Bears in the fifth inning. South Dakota would also score once, on a homer, but the gap grew as the teams headed to the sixth.
Autumn Vessier opened the sixth with a double to left field, threatening early in the inning. But it didn't matter where she was on the basepaths, as a home run by Smith scored Vessier along with it, making it a 5-3 ball game. Small ball got the final run in, with a walk, a single, and two more walks scoring the seventh run of the game for Central Arkansas. South Dakota threatened with runners in scoring position in the home half of the inning, but after getting out of that jam, the seventh proved to be smooth sailing.
Bailie Runner picked up the first win of the season in the circle, scattering seven hits across seven innings and striking out three. Graham, in the leadoff spot, went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk. Game one also marked the first win for first-year head coach
Kayla Lucas, who now leads the program after five years as an assistant.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 4, Creighton – 5
Creighton jumped out in the second inning, getting a pair on before a home run put the Bluejays up 3-0. A few batters later, a sacrifice fly made it 4-0 for the home team in the second game of the day for Central Arkansas. Creighton would add one more in the third inning, pushing the lead out to five and threatening to end this one early.
On the other side, the Bear bats just couldn't get going. And although runners were getting on, mostly via the walk, bats behind baserunners were unable to keep momentum and move teammates around the diamond. It stayed like that until the seventh, when, down to the final three outs, Central Arkansas finally got something going.
Grace Molitor walked to start the frame, and scampered over to third on an
LJ Smith single.
Addie Graham made contact, scoring Molitor and moving Smith to second. A double by
Trinity Brandon scored Smith and pushed Graham to third base, and a walk loaded the bags.
Emma Robertson punched a single to left center, and the speed on the basepaths allowed Central Arkansas to score two, getting the lead down to one run with one out.
Emma Veach walked to reload the bases, but unfortunately for the Bears, the next two batters couldn't find a pitch, and the comeback fell one run short of going to extras.
Central Arkansas will be back on the field tomorrow, playing Creighton at 11 a.m. and South Dakota at 4 p.m.
