Softball
Austin Peay evens series with Bears, despite Griffin’s 3-for-4 day
Bears outhit the Governors 7-5, but couldn’t string enough hits together at the right time to set up Sunday game
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Central Arkansas dropped a 5-3 outing at Austin Peay, evening the series as the teams await game three on Sunday.
The Bears outhit the Governors 7-5, but couldn’t string enough hits together at the right time.
The Bears (24-25, 12-7 ASUN) go level with the Govs in the second series of the year, and remain 3-2 overall with one game left on Sunday.
Kylie Griffin was 3-of-4 at the plate, recording nearly half of the seven hits by the Bears.
Austin Peay struck first in the second inning, using a sacrifice fly and an outfield hit to score three runs.
It took UCA until the fifth to get a run through, despite four hits in the innings prior. Renee Christian laid down a bunt and used her wheels to make it to first, and moved to third on Griffin’s third hit of the day.
Addie Graham batted into a fielder’s choice, but Christan was able to scamper home to get the Bears on the board.
An uncharacteristic two errors in the bottom of the fifth allowed Austin Peay to score two more, building a 5-1 lead deep into the game.
In the sixth, Emma Robertson walked with two outs, and Mya January demolished her fifth home run of the season to cut the lead to two. The Bears held firm in the bottom of the sixth, battling out of bases loaded with one out.
Graham caught a fly ball in center field and rifled it home to tag out the runner in time, giving the Bears some momentum as the order turned over in the top of the seventh.
But after Autumn Vessier drew a walk, three-straight outs to middle infielders ended any hopes of a comeback.
UCA will close its final road series with game three against Austin Peay on Sunday, with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.
