JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Central Arkansas softball team avoided elimination after suffering an early loss Friday morning, rebounding in the night game to stay alive and punch a ticket to Saturday's ASUN Championship Final.
The Bears (36-19-1) dropped an 8-2 result to No. 2 Stetson to start the day, dropping to the consolation part of the bracket before beating No. 4 Jacksonville 6-1 to get another chance at beating the Hatters on Saturday. After a tough game on both sides of the ball in game one, it was a pair of freshmen pitchers,
Jaleigh White and
Emory Bowlin, who got the job done in the circle in game two, and the bats woke up late against the Dolphins to get the necessary result.
Game One: Central Arkansas – 2, Stetson – 8
The Hatters jumped out immediately to start the game, putting up four runs in the first inning to take the early advantage. Once the Bears got to the plate, it was not an immediate response, despite a couple of Bears reaching base. Stetson added two more in the second to stretch the lead to six, and the situation felt dire for the Bears.
Finally, Central Arkansas showed some life in the third inning.
Grace Molitor opened the inning with a bunt, reaching safely and moving to second on a single by
Renee Christian. Two batters later,
Trinity Brandon drove Molitor in to get the Bears on the board.
Emma Robertson added another with a first-pitch single to score Christian, but the Bears were left wanting a little more from the offense.
Stetson scored two more runs in the fifth to answer and stretch the lead back to six, and Central Arkansas was unable to get back into it, dropping the game for the first loss of the ASUN Championship.
Game Two: Central Arkansas – 6, Jacksonville – 1
Facing elimination, the Bears had to act, and act fast. The solace: Central Arkansas had already defeated Jacksonville once this week. But JU started the game off with a solo home run in the first inning, and just like in the first game of the day, the Bears faced an early deficit. Also similar to the first game, the offense struggled to move runners into and through scoring positions, stranding two runners as the order moved through the first time.
The game remained a 1-0 score for the first 4.5 innings, and outs started to become more and more precious as the Bears remained behind on the scoreboard. Finally, a breakthrough came in the bottom of the fifth.
Gracie St. Hilaire opened the frame with a single over the shortstop's outstretched glove.
Grace Molitor put down a bunt, and as the infield crashed to make the play, nobody did, leaving Molitor safe and St. Hilaire on second.
Renee Christian moved the runners 60 feet closer with a sacrifice bunt, and
Addie Graham walked to load the bags.
Trinity Brandon stepped to the plate in a massive moment in the game, and battled to a full count before blasting a hit to right center, clearing the bases and putting the Bears up 3-1.
The Bears held firm in the top of the sixth, weathering a couple of hits that left Dolphins beached at second and third. Going back to the plate,
LJ Smith outran a single to the second baseman. Back-to-back errors on JU allowed
Lilly Hood and St. Hilaire to load the bases, Molitor came up again with a timely hit, driving one up the middle to score two more runs. Graham added the sixth and final run as the order went back around, and Central Arkansas went to the seventh with a 6-1 lead that JU was not able to answer.
The freshman tandem of
Jaleigh White and
Emory Bowlin combined for the winning effort in the circle, White picking up her sixth win of the season and Bowlin coming in to ice the win before the Dolphins figured anything out at the plate. The pair combined for 97 pitches, walking just two batters as the Bears advance to Championship Saturday.
Central Arkansas will meet No. 2 Stetson in the Championship Final, and will have to beat the Hatters twice to win the ASUN Championship. First pitch of game one has been moved to 9:30 a.m., with the potential weather forcing the time change.
