The UCA Bears baseball team (16-19, 7-8 ASUN) felt the claws of the North Florida Ospreys (19-16, 7-8 ASUN) during their series matchup, losing 3-2.
The Bears opened the April 14 series with a win. Junior right-hander Jesse Barker started the opener by allowing five hits, striking out five and walking none.
Barker worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, which earned him his second game of the season and third win for his overall career.
This game allowed Barker to improve on his season and lower his earned-run average to 2.56.
The Bears continued the streak when junior catcher/infielder A.J. Mendolia and senior outfielder Kolby Johnson earned consecutive doubles. Junior infielder Mason King singled in Johnson bringing the score to 4-0.
The Bears continued to climb up during the game with UCA finishing with 12 hits, including four extra-base hits.
The final score for the first game was a 5-0 victory for the Bears.
On the 15th, the Bears went against the Ospreys two more times with the Bears fumbling both games, resulting in a series loss for UCA.
The Bears had a strong start during the first game with the team rallying from an 8-1 deficit and scoring four times in the last inning.
This wasn’t enough for the Bears, as the Ospreys took control of the game soon after.
The Ospreys had eight runs in the third inning and out-hit the Bears 7-12. Both teams scored a home run.
UCA’s Johnson was able to score his second home run of the series for the Bears, with senior outfielder Dylan Cyr following the hit with his home run in the eighth.
In the second game of the day, the Ospreys continued their winning streak by only allowing five hits. The Ospreys scored all of the runs needed in the first inning, taking the score to 0-2.
North Florida then added two more hits in the fifth and a run in the eighth to close the series out.
freshman left fielder Kade Seldomridge was the only UCA player with multiple hits throughout the game, going two for four.
Even with Friday’s win for the Bears, the Ospreys took the series win with a score of 2-1.
The Bears will next play the Arkansas Razorbacks on April 18 at the Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, with the first pitch set to take place at 6 p.m.
The Bears will then return home this weekend to host the Stetson Hatters in a three-game ASUN series.