Hamilton deals seven scoreless innings, but UCA bullpen can’t hold lead

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Denver Hamilton put together one of the cleanest outings of his season Saturday afternoon, but Central Arkansas walked away from Raymond C. Hand Park on the wrong end of a 2-1 final against Austin Peay in ASUN Conference play.

Hamilton, a junior right-hander, took the ball and didn’t let Austin Peay do much of anything with it for seven full innings.

He didn’t issue a single walk, struck out four batters and worked through 87 pitches, 61 of them for strikes. That kind of efficiency and command doesn’t come around every weekend and it’s the sort of start that typically wins ballgames.

The Bears entered the ninth inning protecting a 1-0 lead, needing just three outs to hand Hamilton a well-earned victory. That’s when things unraveled.

A Seventh-Inning Spark

Before the late heartbreak, UCA (26-21, 13-10 ASUN) put together the game’s only early run in the seventh inning with a nice sequence of small-ball baseball.

Jack Runsick worked a walk to get things started and Mark Ross followed with a single to right field that moved Runsick to second base.

With runners at first and second, Casey Shipley laid down a sacrifice bunt that pushed both runners up a base, setting the table with nobody out.

Zane Denton then came through with an RBI single through the right side of the infield, bringing Runsick home and handing UCA the 1-0 advantage.

It was a textbook inning with patient at-bats, smart baserunning and a clutch hit when it mattered most.

Denton finished the game with two hits and the lone RBI for the Bears. Ross also went 2-for-3, giving the top of the lineup something to build on.

The Ninth-Inning Collapse

Hunter Alexander came on in relief to close things out and he got the first two batters of the ninth inning before the Governors (23-23, 13-10 ASUN) started doing damage.

Trevor Conley drew a walk and Kyler Proctor followed with a double that put the tying run just 90 feet away.

From there, Austin Peay didn’t need a big swing. DJ Merriweather and Paris Pridgen each drew walks, with Merriweather’s free pass forcing in a run to tie the game.

Zion Taylor then delivered an RBI single to end it, sending the Governors home with the 2-1 win and dropping the Bears to even in the series.

Alexander finished his 1.2 innings of work having allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks.

His final line also included a significant personal milestone with his 200th career strikeout as a Bear, a number that speaks to how long and productively he’s contributed to the program.

Despite that achievement, the outing resulted in a loss that moved his record on the season to 5-2.

UCA managed just six hits on the night and couldn’t add to its run total despite a few opportunities throughout the game.

Austin Peay finished with 10 hits, taking full advantage of the late-game chances it created.

Up Next for the Bears

The series wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m. in Clarksville, with the game streaming on ESPN+.

UCA’s Bear 91.3 will have the radio call. Both teams enter the finale tied at 13-10 in ASUN play, making Sunday’s game a meaningful one in the conference standings as the postseason gets closer.