UCA Baseball Tops Stetson 6-4 in ASUN Tournament Opener

DeLAND, Fla. — Central Arkansas didn’t waste any time making its presence felt Tuesday night at Melching Field at Conrad Park.

The Bears came out swinging in the ASUN Championship Tournament, knocking off Stetson 6-4 to grab a strong start in the postseason. Nine hits, including a home run, helped fuel the Bears’ winning effort on a warm Florida night.

It didn’t take long for the Bears to put runs on the board. In the first inning, Parker Gwyn crossed the plate on a ground out by Keaton Laidley.

Then Zeb Allen scored on a ground out from Mark Ross, putting UCA ahead 2-0 heading into the second.

The Bears kept building on that lead in the fourth inning. Gwyn came through again with a two-RBI single to left field, bringing home both Jagger Schattle and Jack Runsick.

One step closer to the hardware 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1qlNYchQfC

— Atlantic Sun Conference (@ASUNSports) May 20, 2026

That pushed the advantage to 4-0 and the Bears were in firm control heading into the middle innings.

Stetson answered in the fifth inning, cutting the gap to 4-2 with a two-run frame.

But Laidley quickly responded with a solo home run to right field, making it 5-2 and quieting any momentum the Hatters had started to build.

Both teams traded single runs in the sixth. Stetson scored on a sacrifice fly, while Zane Denton doubled and eventually crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Allen.

That exchange left the score at 6-3 in favor of the Bears heading to the seventh.

The Hatters tacked on one more in the eighth inning via an RBI single, pulling within 6-4. UCA’s pitching staff then held firm through the ninth to close out the win.

On the Mound: Hamilton and Alexander Deliver

Denver Hamilton started on the hill and turned in a solid performance.

The junior right-hander went six full innings, giving up nine hits and three earned runs while striking out one and walking two.

He threw 98 pitches total, 61 of which were strikes. The win moved Hamilton’s record to 9-0 on the season, a mark that’s tied for 10th nationally in wins.

Hunter Alexander came on in relief and handled the final three innings.

He allowed three hits and one earned run while striking out four batters without issuing a single walk.

Alexander was sharp and efficient, throwing 33 strikes in 48 total pitches.

His 11th save of the season made him UCA’s single-season saves leader and left him tied for third nationally in that category.

Next Up: FGCU on Wednesday

With the opening-round win in hand, the Bears move on to face Florida Gulf Coast University in Round 2 of the ASUN Championship Tournament.

That game’s set for Wednesday at 5 p.m., in DeLand, Fla. Fans can catch the action on ESPN+.