Bears whip North Alabama in doubleheader, getting back to .500 in ASUN

FLORENCE, Ala. — Central Arkansas thrashed North Alabama across two games of a doubleheader on Friday, picking up a series win before sunset.

Game one saw the Bears do their work early to coast to the finish line, and game two had some slight dramatics before a big late inning helped the Bears pull away.

The doubleheader dominance improves UCA to 13-17 on the year and brings the squad back to .500 ball in conference play, now 2-2 in ASUN games. Kylie Griffin batted .600 across the two games, putting down six hits and scoring four times.

Game One: UCA 8, North Alabama 3

By the numbers, North Alabama came into the weekend with the best pitching staff in the ASUN, ranking sixth in the nation with a 1.83 ERA.

If not for an error in the first, the Bears would have doubled that immediately. Griffin opened the game with a single past the pitcher and a stolen base, establishing herself on second quickly.

Madi Young reached on an error and made it to second, allowing Griffin to scamper over to third. Addie Graham punched a single up the middle, and just like that, the Bears were up 2-0.

Lilly Hood knocked a double to put herself and Graham in scoring position, and a Kaitlyn Graham fielder’s choice gave the runner from third time to sprint home for a three-run lead.

UNA answered with back-to-back doubles to start the second, getting on the board in a comeback effort. But two strikeouts from Bailie Runner put the Lions in a tough spot, and a fielder’s choice to Young cleaned up the inning.

The first three batters of the third got on board in the third inning, via a Hood single, a Graham double and an Emma Veach walk.

The damage continued after UNA made a pitching change, as LJ Smith welcomed the new kid to the circle with a two-RBI single up the middle.

After the Lions added another run in the bottom of the third, the Bears responded with two more in the top of the fourth, snuffing out any comeback attempt the Lions could muster.

Hood walked, Graham doubled, and Veach tagged a single up the middle to clear the bases, putting UCA up five.

Each team added one more run, one in the fifth for North Alabama, one in the seventh for the Bears, and the Lions couldn’t find an answer in the bottom half, giving UCA a big game one win.

Runner picked up the win, scattering eight hits while striking out seven. On the other side, the Bears tallied 12 hits and five walks, while only striking out four times.

Game Two: UCA 7, North Alabama 3

It was more of the same in game two. The Bears again took an early lead, starting with a Madi Young walk with one out.

Addie Graham singled, and Lilly Hood took a pitch off the shoulder to load the bases. Mya January walked a run in, and Kaitlyn Graham hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 after the top of the first.

UNA answered with three unanswered runs, one in the first, and two in the third, taking their first lead of the weekend after ten innings of play.

But the lead was short-lived; Kylie Griffin got on base with two outs in the fourth, and stole second. Young punched one up the middle, and the speedy Griffin made it home to make it 3-3.

After scoreless fourth and fifth innings, UCA went back to work in the sixth. Still tied, Griffin singled up the middle, her third of four hits on the day.

Young doubled to move both into scoring position, and a fielder’s choice allowed Griffin to score, as the senior dodged the tag to make it in safely.

The Lions couldn’t retie the game in the sixth, and UCA poured it on in the seventh.

With two outs, North Alabama issued two walks to Emma Veach and Autumn Vessier, and Griffin hit a triple off the wall that careened past the outfielder in right field.

Now up 6-3, the Bears benefited from two more walks, one to Young and one to Addie Graham, whose fourth ball was a wild pitch that gave Griffin time to jet home.

Madge Layfield came in for the final four innings, picking up the win after tossing four scoreless.

She allowed four hits and walked three, but found her spots well enough for the defense behind her to clean up the Lions. Offensively, UCA tagged UNA pitchers for nine hits and drew eight walks, striking out just five times.

It marked the first time this season that a team has drawn more walks than strikeouts over two games against the Lions, with the Bears totaling 13 walks to just nine strikeouts.

The Bears and Lions will finish their series tomorrow at 1 p.m., with UCA looking for its first conference sweep of the season.

Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.