UCA’s Softball Bears return from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic defeated, losing four of the five games in the Feb. 9-11 tournament in Clearwater, Florida.
“It’s just growing pains. We’re figuring things out. We just have to figure them out faster,” Jenny Parsons, head softball coach, said.
Friday, Feb. 9, the Bears (1-4) lost 3-0 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-2) in the first game of the tournament. They finished the night with a 5-4 loss against the North Carolina Central Eagles (1-4).
The second day of the tournament proved slightly more prosperous for the Bears. Saturday, Feb. 10 started with a 4-1 win against St. John’s University, the Red Storm (0-5). However, the day ended with yet another defeat — the Kansas City Jayhawks (2-2-1) conquered the Bears 9-1.
Last but not least, the Bears suffered another loss Sunday, Feb. 11 against the South Alabama Jaguars (4-1). Though they put up a fight, the Bears could not push themselves ahead, resulting in a 3-2 final score.
Junior infielder Kylie Griffin said, “Obviously, this wasn’t the start we were hoping for, but I think that even with everything, even with the outcomes, we know, moving forward, what we need to do, how to prepare and kind of just some of those growing pains that we experienced just how we’re going to move past something come together.”
During the second day of the tournament, the Bears only mustered up eight hits across two games. While this led to a victory at the beginning of the day, the Bears couldn’t keep up and were crushed by the Jayhawks — their biggest defeat of the tournament.
Junior infielder Kylie Griffin stands at home base with a bat in her hands. Griffin played a total of 57 games during the 2023 season with a total of 60 homeruns.
Despite the losses, Griffin said the Bears had some ample plays throughout the tournament.
“Everyone’s just maybe a little nervous, a little scattered,” she said. “But I think that there were highlights, there were good moments, even in the midst of some of the bad ones.”
The Bears’ 4-1 victory over the Red Storm was their greatest feat of the tournament.
Multiple players — sophomore utility Colleen Bare, freshman outfielder Emma Veatch, sophomore infielder/outfielder Lily Hood, junior catcher Kennedy Fisher and Griffin — successfully hit the ball, getting themselves past the plate and driving their teammates home to win the game.
Griffin said her teammate, junior pitcher Bailie Runner, stood out as a star player during the entire tournament.
“I was really, really proud of Bailie,” Griffin said. “To see what she did on the mound — the command, the control, consistency, consistency. She looked very confident.
“It was fun to play behind her. Confidence is the word that comes to mind when she was on the mound. I feel like our defense played well and she kind of gave us some momentum.”
Runner transferred to UCA from Oklahoma State during the offseason and has proven beneficial to the Bears.
In the last game of the tournament against the South Alabama Jaguars, Runner lowered her earned run average to 1.7 — allowing only two runs and striking out three Jaguar batters.
Griffin said the Bears are going to use the few days between tournaments to recuperate and get back on their feet.
“Our goals are just to right now, as in this coming week, settle and kind of find our groove,” she said. “We know what we’re capable of, we know kind of the identity that we’re trying to find and we just got to figure out a way to get there.”
Despite a rocky start, Parson believes the team will push ahead and accomplish a standout season.
“The goals never change,” Parson said. “Our goals are still to win a conference championship and go to regionals, and I think we still have that team.”
More information about the UCA Bears softball team can be found at ucasports.com or on Instagram, @uca_softball.
The softball Bears will head to the McNeese Tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Feb. 16.