TULSA, Okla. – The Central Arkansas softball team used a big early inning and a big late inning to pick up a road win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Wednesday. The Bears batted around the order in two different innings to close a two-game road swing with a nice win.
Central Arkansas (15-18) opened the scoring right away.
Madi Young started things off with a one-out triple, and an infield single by
Addie Graham had runners on the corners.
Mya January took one for the team, and the bases were loaded.
Lilly Hood knocked one up the middle, scoring the first two runs of the game, and just like that, the Bears were on the board. A groundout scored a third run, and
LJ Smith popped a single to center field to force a pitching change and make it 4-0.
The new pitcher did not have more success in the first, giving up a triple to
Emma Veach for her first at bat.
Autumn Vessier was then also hit by a pitch, and the Bears saw the top of the order come to the plate for a second time in the first inning.
Bailie Runner started things off with a three up, three down bottom of the first, and the air was taken out of the stadium for a good while.
The Bears continued to score in the second, adding two runs after Young led off with her second hit of the day and January connected on a no-doubt home run to left field. Both pitchers settled in through the next couple of innings, and then Tulsa's bats started to come alive. A sacrifice fly in the fourth put the Golden Hurricane on the board, and a four-run fifth had the Bears' lead cut to just two runs for the final two innings.
Tulsa found one more run in the bottom of the sixth, making it a one-run game, and suddenly, the pressure was turned way up. In the seventh, Central Arkansas moved some pinch hitters in to give the Tulsa pitcher something to think about. With two outs and
Mikaela Mortimer on first after a fielder's choice,
Emma Robertson came in and drew a big-time walk, moving a runner in scoring position.
Aeryn Shuman then stepped up to the plate and delivered a single down the right field line, driving in two runs to add to the lead. Back-to-back singles at the top of the order loaded the bases and forced another pitching change, and a hit-by-pitch and a walk scored two runs and forced another.
The Golden Hurricane gave it one last try in the bottom of the seventh, down five. The home team would load the bases with two outs, but a pop-up in the infield ended the game. Runner picked up her sixth win of the year, and
Julia Petty earned her first save of the season, coming in late for the final four outs.
Up next, Central Arkansas returns home for an ASUN series against Austin Peay. The Bears will play one game on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with game times of 5 PM/1 PM/1 PM.
