Curtis homers twice, Bears fall 8-4 to Lions in ASUN series

Central Arkansas fell 8-4 to the North Alabama Lions on Friday in Game 2 of their ASUN baseball series at Bear Stadium, as the Lions’ offense surged late to secure their second straight win in Conway.

The matchup was tightly contested early, with both squads trading blows. North Alabama’s Petey Craska opened the scoring with a two-run home run off UCA starter Charlie Christensen in the first inning-his first of two homers on the day.

Christensen rebounded from the early setback, striking out the next five batters he faced and keeping the Bears in the game.

Senior right fielder Preston Curtis responded immediately for the Bears, launching a solo home run to lead off the second inning.

Freshman catcher Carter Alexander followed with an RBI single, scoring Noah Goodshield after a walk, knotting the game at 2-2.

The teams remained deadlocked through four innings, with UCA’s Jagger Schattle driving in Curtis with a single up the middle to tie it at 3-3.

However, the Lions’ bats proved relentless. North Alabama outscored Central Arkansas 5-1 over the final five innings, tallying 14 hits on the night.

Craska’s second home run and a steady stream of hits from the Lions’ lineup proved too much for the Bears’ bullpen, with senior Perry Titlow taking the loss in relief. UNA reliever Gavin Oswald picked up the win.

Despite the loss, Curtis delivered a standout performance, finishing 3-for-4 with two home runs, two RBIs, and three runs scored. The senior now sits tied with Zeb Allen for the team lead in home runs at nine apiece.

Curtis’s power surge has been a bright spot for the Bears during the series; just a day earlier, he went 2-for-3 with five RBIs and a run scored.

Goodshield and shortstop Nate Negre each added two hits for UCA, but the Bears’ offense managed just six hits overall against the Lions’ pitching staff.

The Bears added their final run in the ninth inning on Curtis’s second blast of the night, but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Looking ahead, Central Arkansas will celebrate Senior Day before Saturday’s series finale at 1 p.m.

The program will honor departing student-athletes Tanner Leonard, Jackson Schwank, Clayton Coats, Jake Trabbie, Perry Titlow, Bryce Cermenelli, and Connor Johnson for their contributions to UCA baseball.

With the ASUN Championship tournament looming, the Bears are aiming to regroup and finish the regular season strong.

The postseason field is set, with Central Arkansas entering as the fourth seed from the Gold Division, and North Alabama locking up the third seed.

The Bears will face defending champion Stetson in the opening round, while the Lions take on Jacksonville.

As the regular season concludes, all eyes are on the seniors and the team’s response after a tough series.

“We’ve battled all year, and I’m proud of how our guys keep fighting,” coach Nick Harlan said earlier in the season. “We’ll honor our seniors and look to build momentum for the tournament.”