Baseball
Shutout by Evansville hands Bears loss Sunday, dropping series
UCA will be facing Arkansas after getting blasted for first time this season against Purple Aces
CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas was shut out for the first time this season on Sunday as Evansville pitchers Kevin Reed and Sam Sandy combined for an 8-0 victory in the series finale at Bear Stadium.
Reed, who went seven innings and struck out six and allowed three hits, while Sandy made his season debut and allowed just two hits over the final two innings. The Bears (5-8) had a combined 30 hits in the first two games of the series, an 11-10 win in 10 innings on Friday and a 6-5 loss on Saturday.
Junior third baseman Bryce Cermenelli had two of UCA’s five hits. The Bears threatened to score several times, leaving the bases loaded in the sixth inning, and two on base in the eighth. In all, UCA stranded 11 runners and could not take advantage of three Evansville errors.
The Purple Aces (5-9) finished with 11 hits, spread among nine different players.
UCA’s bullpen quartet of Perry Titlow, Bryce Parlin, Luke Lorence and Jackson Schwank held Evansville scoreless over the final two innings.
Freshman Aden Velasquez, in his first career start, allowed three hits and four runs over 2.0 innings. Junior Gavin Alveti struck out four batters in 4 innings but also allowed four runs.
The Bears will face No. 3 Arkansas at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
UCA opens ASUN play next weekend against North Alabama in a series that will be played at UAB in Birmingham, Ala., due to construction at UNA’s home field in Florence, Ala.
Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.
