Bears can’t hang on to quick lead, dropping season opener to VMI

BATON ROUGE, La. — Central Arkansas started fast against Virginia Military Institute on Friday, but couldn’t hang on, dropping the season open, 3-1.

It doesn’t have a fancy tournament name and probably not a trophy, but LSU has VMI and UCA in town to open the season as defending national champions. All the games are played at Alex Box Stadium.

The Bears were opportunistic in the bottom of the first inning as senior A.J. Mendolia was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. A pair of wild pitches moved him to third and junior transfer catcher Casey Shipley got the first RBI of the season with a single to center to score Mendolia.

UCA starting pitcher Jesse Barker was solid through three innings, getting five of his six strikeouts, before the Keydets strung together three hits and a sacrifice, followed by a one-out double by Grayson Fitzwater to take a 2-1 lead. They added another run in the fifth with an RBI groundout by Ty Swaim.

The Bears, who managed only three hits, loaded the bases twice but failed to score in the sixth and eighth innings. UCA was hit by a pitch five times and drew a pair of walks. Barker, sophomore transfer Hunter Alexander and sophomore Bryce Parlin combined for 10 strkeouts and only one walk.

UCA will play twice on Saturday, facing defending national champion LSU at 1 p.m. and VMI again at 6 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium. This opening on the road in what is likely to be a rowdy environment (it always is for baseball) gives coach Nick Harlan a good read on competing early in the year.