Baseball
Bears rout Eastern Kentucky behind Hamilton’s complete game
Denver Hamilton tossed a complete game as UCA erupted for 10 first-inning runs to beat Eastern Kentucky 12-2 Friday night.
CONWAY, Ark. — Denver Hamilton threw a complete game, and Central Arkansas’s offense did the rest early.
The Bears beat Eastern Kentucky 12-2 on Friday night at Bear Stadium, pushing their record to 20-18.
UCA wasted no time taking control.
The Bears sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring 10 runs on six hits to effectively settle things before Eastern Kentucky could find its footing.
Leadoff man Zeb Allen singled and scored, and Nate Negre reached on a hit by pitch. Jagger Schattle followed with a single up the middle to bring Allen home.
Parker Gwyn doubled to score Negre, and Keaton Laidley reached on a fielding error to let Schattle score.
A hit by pitch to Mark Ross forced in another run, and Zane Denton took advantage of a throwing error to push two more unearned runs across.
Allen’s second single of the inning drove in another run, and Negre’s sacrifice fly plated Denton.
Schattle capped the frame with a two-run homer to right center. Just like that, UCA led 10-1 after one inning.
Laidley doubled and scored on a Denton single in the second to make it 11-1, and Gwyn singled and scored on a Runsick hit in the third to push the advantage to 12-1.
Hamilton shuts down Colonels
While the offense was rolling, Hamilton was efficient on the mound.
The junior right-hander worked all seven innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs.
He struck out seven and didn’t issue a single walk, throwing 74 of his 107 pitches for strikes. The win moved him to 6-0 on the season.
Eastern Kentucky didn’t score until the fifth, when Moreno doubled and Alvarez added an RBI double to make it 12-2.
That’s as close as the Colonels got. UCA finished with 13 hits to EKU’s seven, and the Bears swiped three bases as a team while Eastern Kentucky finished with none.
Schattle led the Bears at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, and the home run. Gwyn went 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a double, and a stolen base.
Denton finished 2-for-4 with a run, two RBIs, a double, and a stolen base. Allen went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, and Runsick added two hits and an RBI.
Up next
UCA and Eastern Kentucky meet again Saturday at Bear Stadium with first pitch set for 4 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+ and on The Bear 91.3.
