The UCA softball team proved superior to the Lipscomb Bisons, as the Bears rode into Tennessee and swept Lipscomb in a three-game series over the weekend.
The Bears were up to bat first and immediately stacked the bases after a handful of errors. Freshman outfielder Renee Christian reached base on a fielding error and ended up on second base. Junior infielder Kylie Griffin reached base on a throwing error, allowing Christian to advance to third.
After being walked on a full count, senior outfielder Tremere Harris took first base. Sophomore infielder Lilly Hood reached first base on a fielder’s choice, keeping the bases loaded.
The Bears finally scored their first run after a walk from senior infielder Morgan Nelson, bringing the score to 1-0.
Junior pitcher Bailie Runner began the second inning on the mound, getting off to a hot start allowing zero runs through 6.1 innings.
Over the next four innings both offenses stagnated, as the Bears only picked up three hits and no earned runs. The Bisons picked up their first run in the bottom of the sixth off a sacrifice fly.
It wasn’t until the final inning that the Bears were able to seal the game. A single by Harris and a throwing error by Lipscomb put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by Nelson put two players in scoring positions, leading to a single by sophomore outfielder Gracie St. Hilaire, scoring both base runners. The Bears pushed past the Bisons, 3-1.
Runner continued her dominance, securing the last three outs on the day and picking up her ninth victory of the year.
The Bears played their second game of the doubleheader shortly after. The Bears once again scored early after an RBI single from Hood in the first inning, making it 1-0.
Heading into the third, both teams went hitless in the second inning. The Bears garnered a single out of Harris but left her stranded on base. The slow offense continued until the fifth inning, where the Bears would score a whopping 14 runs.
This consisted of six singles, three doubles and two home runs, which were both compliments of Nelson.
The Bisons had no answer and surrendered the second game to the Bears, 15-0.
The Bears continued to wreak havoc throughout another seven innings in their third game of the doubleheader.
The Bears waited until the second inning to score their first run, coming off another home run for Nelson.
Nelson struck again in the next inning, providing an RBI single for Harris to score on. The scoring stayed dormant until the top of the fifth inning, where they put up another four runs to make the score 6-0. Another RBI single at the top of the sixth would put the Bears up 7 points.
The Bears scored another five runs on three hits in the seventh inning, including a home run from Christian.
Once again, Lipscomb had no answer for the Bears, handing UCA the win, 12-0.
The Bears will go head-to-head against the Kennesaw State Owls in Kennesaw, Georgia, from April 27 to April 28.