Bears claim series win over Lipscomb despite Sunday’s 6-5 loss

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Central Arkansas left Ken Dugan Field on Sunday with a series victory in their back pocket, but the day’s final score didn’t go their way.

Lipscomb topped UCA 6-5 in a back-and-forth contest that came down to a pair of home runs — one in the seventh inning and another in the eighth — that the Bears simply couldn’t answer.

The loss dropped UCA to 18-18 overall and 7-8 in ASUN Conference play, while the Bisons improved to 15-17 on the year and 8-7 in the conference.

Despite the setback, the Bears had enough to claim the series heading into a midweek trip to Tulsa.

Sunday’s game was played on even terms for long stretches, with both teams collecting 10 hits and neither side committing an error.

The difference came down to power — and UCA surrendered it at the worst possible moments.

Parker Gwyn was the offensive standout for the Bears, going 3-for-5 with a run scored, two RBIs, and two stolen bases.

His two-RBI single in the sixth inning gave UCA a 5-4 lead and looked like it might be the play that decided the game. It wasn’t.

Nate Negre was also productive for the Bears, posting two hits, two runs, a double, and a stolen base across five at-bats.

Mark Ross chipped in two RBIs of his own, while Keaton Laidley drove in one run. UCA drew six walks as a team, creating plenty of traffic on the bases throughout the afternoon.

The game started as a mirror image for both offenses. In the first inning, Negre singled and moved up the base paths on hits from Jagger Schattle and Gwyn.

Ross then drew a walk, allowing Negre to score, and Laidley’s walk brought Schattle home. Lipscomb matched that two-run frame on their side, and the teams were tied 2-2 after one inning of play.

The score held until the fourth, when the Bisons took control with a pair of runs. Mahan scored on a sacrifice fly by Miles, and Kenealy Jr. crossed the plate on a single by Ludeiro, making it 4-2 Lipscomb.

The Bears trimmed the deficit to one in the fifth. Gwyn singled, stole two bases on his own, and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ross to make it 4-3.

Bears take lead before Lipscomb responds late

UCA turned that momentum into a lead in the sixth. Zane Denton and Negre both scored on Gwyn’s two-RBI single, flipping the scoreboard to 5-4 in the Bears’ favor.

It was the kind of rally that seemed to position UCA for a clean series sweep.

But Lipscomb had other ideas. Jordan Thomas sent a solo home run over the fence in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5.

Then, in the eighth, Kai Holm connected on another solo shot to put the Bisons in front for good at 6-5.

The Bears went quietly in the ninth, and the final score remained 6-5 in favor of Lipscomb.

Starting pitcher Jacob Pannell worked 6 1/3 innings for UCA, giving up nine hits and five earned runs while walking one and striking out two.

He threw 93 total pitches, 56 of them strikes, and allowed one home run.

Senior Kannon Nesslage came on in relief for the Bears and pitched 1 2/3 innings, surrendering just one hit and one earned run — the Holm home run — on 17 pitches, 13 of which were strikes. Nesslage took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season.

Lipscomb’s Kaleb Kantola earned the win to improve to 1-0.

UCA didn’t make things easy on themselves defensively, but they also didn’t give anything away — the Bears finished the game without an error.

UCA’s base-running was a bright spot as well, with the Bears stealing three bases compared to Lipscomb’s two.

UCA heads to Tulsa for midweek matchup

Despite the series finale loss, UCA can build on what went right across the three-game weekend set at Ken Dugan Field before turning their attention to a midweek road trip.

The Bears head to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to take on Oral Roberts University on Tuesday, April 14. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and can be heard on The Bear 91.3 or watched on the Summit League Network.

UCA sits at .500 overall at 18-18, and with just over a month remaining in the regular season, every game in the ASUN schedule takes on added meaning.

The Bears will need performances like Sunday’s from Gwyn and Negre to continue if UCA wants to stay in the conference postseason picture.