Bears rally late, fall 8-5 against South Dakota State

CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas dropped Game 2 of its weekend series against South Dakota State on Saturday, falling 8-5 at Bear Stadium. The Bears made things interesting late but couldn’t fully recover after the Jackrabbits built an early cushion.

South Dakota State struck first in the second inning. A two-run double down the left-field line plated two runners and gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. That early swing set the tone for much of the afternoon.

The Jackrabbits added another run in the fourth inning on a groundout that brought a runner home, stretching the margin to 3-0. UCA’s pitching staff worked through traffic but couldn’t keep the scoreboard clean in the middle innings.

Starter Caden Meeler went 3 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked two before turning the ball over to the bullpen.

JB Williams followed with 3 1/3 innings of relief. He gave up two earned runs and recorded two strikeouts without issuing a walk, helping keep the Bears within reach.

Jake Jones later worked 1 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Kannon Nesslage closed out the final two outs without surrendering a hit.

Late offense sparks hope

The Bears finally broke through in the sixth inning. Zeb Allen doubled down the right-field line and later scored. Moments later, Landon Carter launched a two-run home run that trimmed the deficit to 3-2 and energized the home dugout.

South Dakota State answered quickly in the seventh. A key double and a series of defensive miscues allowed three more runs to cross the plate, pushing the lead to 6-2 and putting UCA back in a tough spot.

Still, the Bears didn’t back down. In the eighth inning, Jayden Sloan came around to score on a single by Jack Runsick. A passed ball brought Nate Negre home, cutting the gap further.

Parker Gwyn added a sacrifice fly later in the inning that scored Allen, making it 7-5. The rally brought the tying run closer to the plate and gave Bear Stadium a lift.

The Jackrabbits, however, added an insurance run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly that plated a pinch runner. That final run created the 8-5 margin that held through the last out.

Allen finished with two hits and two runs scored. Carter had two hits and two RBIs, including his sixth-inning homer that sparked the comeback effort.

UCA and South Dakota State will meet again Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bear Stadium to decide the series. The Bears will look to bounce back and even things up before moving on in their nonconference schedule.