Softball
Bears battle, but can’t overcome ranked Razorbacks on road
UCA stayed poised at plate and on defense, recording five hits and scoring three runs, forcing Hogs into chunk plays
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Facing off with nationally-ranked Arkansas, Central Arkansas battled for seven innings, but ultimately dropped a 6-3 final score Tuesday morning.
The Bears (11-17) stayed poised at the plate and on defense, recording five hits and scoring three runs. UCA also did a good job limiting the Hogs’ movement around the bases, instead forcing Arkansas to take chunk plays on the long ball to score runs.
Kylie Griffin opened the game with a single through the 5-6 gap. And though the Bears weren’t able to bring her around to score, the early hit was a sign that UCA wasn’t going to shy away from bringing it against a nationally ranked team. Arkansas scored one in the bottom of the first, but only had one hit in the opening frame, with Bailie Runner finding spots without leaving pitches in the open for hitters.
Arkansas added three in the third inning, and for a stretch, it seemed like the game might be getting out of control. But the Bear defense got through the inning with a couple of pop-ups to the outfield, and the offense would go back to work to try and find an answer.
Addie Graham got on base with a double to the right field corner in the fourth, getting in scoring position with just one out. Mya January moved her over to third, and a Lilly Hood single up the middle scored a run, and just like that, Tuesday became a ballgame.
Madge Layfield came into the game in the fourth inning, and after giving up a couple of early hits, settled into a rhythm in front of the defense. UCA went back to the plate in the fifth determined to get back into it, down 5-1. Emma Veach started the inning getting hit by a pitch, taking first without having to put the ball in play. Autumn Vessier walked, and a wild pitch moved both runners to scoring positions. Griffin smacked a sacrifice fly to center field to score Veach, and Madi Young pushed a ball through the right side to score Vessier, bringing the Bears within two runs.
The Razorbacks sandwiched a walk between two singles, moving a runner around to score to make it 6-3, in the fifth. The Bears gave it one more try in the seventh on a double by LJ Smith, but UCA couldn’t keep the lineup moving.
UCA is the first team outside the SEC to hold the Hogs to fewer than nine runs inside Bogle Park this season, and the first to go the distance against one of the country’s best offenses. The three runs the Bears scored are the second-most the Razorbacks have given up to a nonconference opponent at home this season, and six runs are the fewest Arkansas has scored in Fayetteville.
The Bears are back on the field this weekend, heading to North Alabama for a three-game series. First pitch for Friday’s doubleheader is set for 2 p.m., and Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.
