UCA Falls to Stetson in ASUN Championship Title Game

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Central Arkansas wrapped up its 2026 season as ASUN Championship runners-up Saturday morning, dropping a 4-0 decision to No. 2 seed Stetson in the title game.

It was a tough finish to what was a strong tournament run for the Bears, who became just the second squad in program history to reach championship Saturday.

The loss closes the books on a 36-20-1 season, capping a 2-2 run through the ASUN Tournament. That overall record still reflects how far this program’s come.

UCA’s been a top-three seed in each of its five ASUN Tournament appearances and earned multiple wins in four of those five trips. That’s a track record most programs would be proud of.

Slow Start for Both Sides

Saturday’s finale didn’t exactly feature a lot of early offense. Through the first two innings, both squads managed only a single baserunner apiece.

The Bears got a spark going in the third when Gracie St. Hilaire doubled to lead off the frame and the lineup pushed her all the way to third, but couldn’t bring her home before Stetson got out of the inning.

The Hatters took the lead in the bottom of the third. They strung together four productive plate appearances and manufactured the game’s first run.

From there things didn’t get easier for UCA.

A Barclay home run in the fourth inning put Stetson ahead 3-0, a deficit that proved too steep for the Bears to climb back from.

Garcia drove in two runs for the Hatters and Barclay added two more RBIs on the day.

Bears Keep Fighting Despite Deficit

To their credit, the Bears didn’t fold after falling behind. LJ Smith opened the fifth inning with a single and St. Hilaire came through with a sacrifice bunt to move her into scoring position.

It was the kind of small-ball execution that kept a rally alive on paper, but stringing together back-to-back productive at bats was a challenge all game long for UCA.

The Bears put runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings as well, but couldn’t push any of them across the plate.

Stetson’s Arnold earned the win, improving to 10-3 on the season. Bailie Runner took the loss for UCA, finishing the year at 15-8 after allowing three earned runs across six innings of work.

Smith led the Bears offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate. St. Hilaire added a double and a sacrifice bunt in her limited at bats.

The Bears managed just three hits total against Stetson’s pitching.

Three Bears Named to ASUN All-Tournament Team

Despite the loss, the tournament still produced some individual recognition for UCA. Three players earned spots on the ASUN All-Tournament Team in Grace Molitor, Trinity Brandon and Lucy Crowder.

Molitor was flat-out locked in throughout the week, hitting .500 across four tournament games to pace the Bears offensively.

Brandon drove in four runs total during the tournament, highlighted by a three-RBI hit against Jacksonville. She also didn’t miss a beat defensively, handling all 19 of her defensive chances cleanly.

Crowder posted a 1.00 ERA from the circle, a big reason why UCA was able to advance far enough to play for a title.