CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team closed out the Milisa Moore & Shane Lamb Memorial Tournament with a day nearly identical to Friday: one game was a blowout, the other went down to the wire. In the end, the result was the same: a 4-0 weekend for the Bears.
The Bears defeated Chattanooga 10-2 in five innings to start the day, then pitched a shutout to defeat ULM 3-0 to close the weekend. The wins improved the Bears to 17-8 on the year.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 10, Chattanooga – 2
Chattanooga tallied the first run of the day in the top of the first, capitalizing on a Central Arkansas error to bring in the first score. But the Bears would go right to work upon getting to the plate.
Renee Christian opened the day with a double, then moved to third on a bunt single by
Addie Graham.
Trinity Brandon skipped the small-ball stuff and scored both runners with a towering home run to left center, liking her first pitch and driving it out of the park.
The Bears continued to add offensively, pairing walks and stolen bases from Graham and Brandon, then a sacrifice fly by
Emma Robertson to make it a three-run game. The same trio gave the Bears the fifth run of the game in the fourth, starting the inning putting two runners on and scoring one to make it a 5-1 lead. The next at bat saw
Kaitlyn Graham punch a single through the right side of the infield, allowing two more runs to score.
After giving up a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth, the Bears decided to finish off the run-rule. Christian again started an inning with a double, and after Graham walked, a passed ball allowed the speedsters to get into scoring position.
Kaitlyn Graham doubled to score the pair, and
LJ Smith doubled to bring in the final run of the game.
Sarah Currie got the win in the circle, pitching a complete game while striking out three and giving up only five hits. Of the Bears' nine hits, four of them were for extra bases.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 3, ULM – 0
Emory Bowlin and the defense came out ready to play, casually retiring the first three batters on a pair of grounders and a flyout. And while the offense couldn't capitalize in the first inning, the defense kept on producing outs until the offense could get going.
In the second inning, that happened.
Gracie St. Hilaire opened the frame with a double.
Autumn Vessier walked, and a sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position. Back around the top of the order,
Addie Graham punched one to the wall in left center, scoring the two runners and almost turning in an inside the park homerun herself, getting tagged out at home. But despite the tag at the plate, the Bears were up 2-0.
The top of the third saw the visitors go three up and three down, sending the Bears back to the plate. Four of the defensive innings by the Bears would go three up, three down for ULM.
In the bottom of the third, the Bears would score the final run of the game.
Emma Robertson walked, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Inserting
Sydney Kildow to pinch run, the speedster reached home on a
Kaitlyn Graham double, giving Central Arkansas a 3-0 lead.
Luckily, in a game that didn't see the offense churning like game one, Bowlin and the defense continued to mow down the ULM lineup. Despite a threat in the fifth, Bowlin was calm and collected throughout, forcing the ULM lineup to adjust and make plays, which the Warhawks couldn't do in this one. The Bears finished off the game in the top of the seventh, getting a flyout, a strikeout and a groundout to seal the deal. The game marked the first career shutout for Bowlin, who picked up her fourth win on the year.
The Bears will follow ULM back to Monroe this week, facing the Warhawks at their place on Tuesday before starting ASUN play at North Alabama.
