Baseball
Bears will be in ASUN tournament after 11-7 win over Austin Peay
UCA sees early lead evaporate before staging comeback Harlan says due to ‘hard work’ all season
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Central Arkansas punched their ticket to the 2025 ASUN Championship tournament with a resilient 11-7 victory over league-leading Austin Peay on Saturday at Raymond C. Hand Park.
The win, combined with a Bellarmine loss, guarantees UCA a place in the postseason, either as the third or fourth seed from the ASUN Gold Division, with four conference games still remaining.
Austin Peay, entering the contest with a formidable 24-4 home record and a 22-3 conference mark, had previously swept the Bears in Conway and looked poised to continue their dominance after a five-run fourth inning erased UCA’s early lead.
The Governors had also taken the series opener on Friday, 9-2, powered by a seven-run frame.
But Saturday belonged to the Bears, who responded to adversity with poise and timely execution.
UCA jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning, stringing together singles from Keon Moseni, Tanner Leonard, and Zeb Allen. Nate Negre’s sacrifice fly plated Moseni, Preston Curtis’s bunt single brought in Leonard, and Allen crossed the plate on a stolen base attempt.
The Bears added a fourth run in the second when catcher Gavin Alveti, who reached on a walk, advanced on Moseni’s single and scored on Leonard’s squeeze bunt.
Austin Peay clawed back with two runs in the third and then surged ahead with a five-run fourth, but UCA’s bullpen had an answer.
Senior Perry Titlow entered in a bases-loaded jam and induced a ground ball to escape unscathed.
He then delivered a masterful 5.1-inning relief performance, allowing just one hit and no runs, shutting down one of the nation’s top offenses and stabilizing the game for the Bears.
UCA’s offense came alive again in the seventh, erupting for five runs despite managing just two hits in the frame.
Leonard and Allen each forced in a run with bases-loaded plate appearances, and Negre’s fielder’s choice brought in Moseni.
Jagger Schattle delivered the big blow with a two-run single up the middle, pushing the Bears ahead for good.
Allen provided insurance in the ninth, launching his team-leading ninth home run of the season. Negre doubled and later scored on a passed ball to cap the scoring.
Titlow finished the job, retiring the Governors in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure his third win of the season.
Moseni paced the offense with three hits, while Leonard, Allen, Negre, and Schattle each drove in two runs.
The Bears finished with 13 hits, outpacing the Governors’ eight and holding the high-powered Austin Peay lineup in check after the fourth inning.
“I’m proud of the way our guys responded after giving up the lead,” UCA coach Nick Harlan said. “Perry [Titlow] was outstanding out of the bullpen, and our hitters kept grinding and found a way to break through in the seventh.
“Earning a spot in the tournament is a testament to their hard work all season.”
With the postseason now in sight, the Bears will look to build momentum in their final conference games before heading to DeLand, Fla., for the ASUN Championship, which begins May 20.
The series finale against Austin Peay is set for noon Sunday, as UCA aims to carry its winning form into the tournament stretch.
