Bears rebound from Friday loss to take pair of wins Saturday

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Central Arkansas softball rebounded from yesterday’s struggles with two big wins on Saturday, taking down Purdue Fort Wayne in a five-inning run rule before upending host Southern Illinois in extras.

The Bears recorded double-digit hits in both games, totaling 23 on the day. UCA also saw their first two hits clear the fence this season, with Kaitlyn Graham and Kylie Griffin going yard in the wins.

Game One: UCA 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 0

After keeping the Mastodons from scoring in the top of the first, the Bears scratched across the first run of the game with two at bats; Griffin started things with a triple, then reached home as Addie Graham knocked a double to center field.

The Bears found another run in the second, combining a Michaela Mortimer walk, an Emma Veach double and a sacrifice fly by Autumn Vessier to add to the lead.

UCA broke the game open in the third. Graham again doubled to get on board, and two batters later, Kaitlyn Graham blasted one to center field to make it 4-0.

The Mastodons changed pitchers, but the Bears continued to roll, with Lilly Hood drawing a walk and Mortimer driving her home with a double for a five-run lead.

Offense continued to work as the game progressed. Vessier opened the fourth with a single, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Then, with two outs, Madi Young punched a double down the right field line, putting the lead at six.

The Bears then wrapped up the run rule in the fifth, combining four-straight productive plate appearances to win. Hood started the inning with a walk and Emma Robertson came through with a pinch-hit single.

Mortimer singled to score Hood, and a sacrifice fly from Veach sent home the eighth and final run.

Julia Petty tossed a two-hitter, striking out nine to earn her first shutout of the season. She had at least one strikeout in all five innings, and struck out the side in the third.

Game Two: UCA 10, SIU 7

As well as the first game went for the Bears, the first few innings against the Salukis was the exact opposite.

SIU scored in each of the first three innings, including a three-run third to jump out 5-0. Meanwhile, the Bears managed just one hit during that span, and looked dead in the water.

But UCA continued to fight and make adjustments, and they finally started to make a difference in the fifth inning. Emma Veach reached on an error, and moved to second on a Renee Christian Single.

Autumn Vessier got the Bears on the board with a sharply hit single down the left line, allowing both baseunners to score. Kylie Griffin stepped up on the next at bat and powered her third-career home run on the first pitch of her appearance, and suddenly, the Bears had life.

The Salukis tried changing pitchers, but it didn’t matter. Addie Graham welcomed the new Saluki with a first-pitch double, and scored on Madi Young’s single to the right field corner to tie the game.

SIU answered in the home half of the inning, scoring two to reclaim the lead. Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, and the Bears went to the seventh needing at least two runs to keep the game alive. With two outs, Young got hit by a pitch, establishing a baserunner.

A throwing error allowed Kaitlyn Graham to put runners on first and third, and an infield single by Lilly Hood sent Young home. Mikaela Mortimer smacked a single up the middle, tying the game and giving UCA a chance at extras.

The Salukis went three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to an eighth inning, and the momentum was squarely behind the Bears. Veach was placed on second, and she reached third on a wild pitch, moving 60 feet from home on the first plate appearance of extras.

Christian walked to put runners on the corners, and Vessier punched a double to send Christian to third and Veach home. Griffin hit a sacrifice fly to make it 9-7, and Graham poked a single to score Vessier.

Madge Layfield, who picked up her first collegiate win, finished things off with a three-up, three-down inning, striking out the last two batters looking. Layfield went 5.2 innings, striking out four while only walking one.

UCA has two midweeks this week, facing Missouri State at home on Monday and Memphis on Wednesday. First pitch for both games is at 5 p.m.

Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.