Softball
UCA softball falls 6-3 in Bulldog Classic finale in Ruston
Central Arkansas couldn’t hold a lead against Louisiana Monroe in the Bulldog Classic finale, falling 6-3 despite key hitting performances.
RUSTON, La. – Central Arkansas softball closed its weekend in the Bulldog Classic with a 6-3 loss to Louisiana Monroe on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears, now 12-8 on the season, saw strong offensive moments and continued hitting streaks but couldn’t produce enough runs late.
UCA struck first in the opening inning. Addie Graham and Trinity Brandon ripped back-to-back doubles, allowing Graham to cross the plate for the game’s first run.
The Bulldogs answered quickly with two runs of their own to move in front 2-1.
The Bears responded in the third inning. Autumn Vessier worked a walk, and Renee Christian beat out an infield single to create a scoring chance. A wild pitch advanced the runners, and a sacrifice fly brought Vessier home to tie the game at 2-2.
Neither side broke through again until the fourth. Louisiana Monroe plated two runs to regain control, and UCA had to play from behind the rest of the afternoon.
In the sixth inning, the Bears pushed again. Brandon reached on an infield single, Kaitlyn Graham drew a walk, and Emma Robertson delivered a shot to right-center field that scored Brandon and trimmed the deficit to one run.
Offense shows life but falls short
The momentum didn’t last long. The Bulldogs added two more runs in the bottom half of the sixth, stretching the margin to 6-3. UCA couldn’t mount a rally in the seventh inning, and the game slipped away.
There were still bright spots for the Bears. Graham extended her hitting streak to 13 games, continuing one of the team’s most consistent runs at the plate. Christian also stayed steady, stretching her hitting streak to seven games.
UCA finished with five hits in the contest and showed patience by drawing five walks. The Bears also swiped one base and applied pressure in multiple innings, even if they couldn’t string together a big rally.
In the circle, Bailie Runner took the loss after throwing 5.1 innings. The Bulldogs totaled nine hits and worked seven walks, creating steady traffic on the bases throughout the afternoon.
Next game: Home game against Tulsa
The Bears now return home looking to regroup. UCA will host Tulsa on Wednesday at Natalie Shock Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
It’s a quick turnaround, but the Bears will have a chance to reset in front of their home fans and build on the positive swings they showed during the Bulldog Classic.
