The UCA softball team opened its season with a weekend tournament in Huntsville Texas, where they played five games and finished 3-2. 

The weekend started with UCA (3-2) taking on South Dakota (2-3) on Feb. 6, where they won 7-3. 

Graduate student pitcher Bailee Runner was on the mound for this game, and she pitched all seven innings, giving up three runs and seven hits to South Dakota. 

Notably, sophomore second-baseman LJ Smith recorded the first home run for the Bears in the 2026 season. 

She also recorded a walk, and two runs for UCA. 

Sophomore center-fielder Addie Graham recorded three hits in the leadoff spot, tacking on two runs and a walk as well. 

In total for the season opener, the Bears recorded eight hits, 6 RBIs (Runs batted in), eight walks and 11 strikeouts. 

The same day, the Bears took on Creighton (2-3), where despite a 7th inning comeback where UCA scored four runs, Creigton held on to the 5-4 victory. 

The pitcher for UCA was freshman Emory Bowlin. 

In her first game of her collegiate career, she pitched three innings, gave up three hits, four earned runs, three walks and recorded 0 strikeouts. 

Senior pitcher Sarah Currie relieved Bowlin for the final three innings, and gave up 0 hits, 0 runs, allowed one walk and struckout 3 Creighton batters. 

UCA would soon get their revenge on Creighton as they faced off with them again on Feb. 7, and beat them 10-2 in a 5 inning run ruled game.  

Runner was in the circle again for the Bears, and she pitched the full five innings. 

Runner allowed seven hits, two earned runs and she struck out two. 

UCA had two players hit home runs in the 10-2 win over Creighton.

Catcher Emma Robertson and senior infielder Trinity Brandon recorded their first home runs of 2026. 

Brandon also recorded three hits and 3 RBIs in the winning effort. 

UCA took on South Dakota again directly after the 10-2 win over Creighton, and after a 4th and 5th inning comeback, UCA was able to hold on to a 3-2 victory. 

The winning pitcher for the Bears was freshman Jaleigh White. 

White pitched the full seven innings and allowed seven hits, one earned run, two walks and recorded three strikeouts. 

Robertson hit her second home run of the day in the 4th inning against South Dakota. 

The pitching was the story in the 3-2 win as the Bears only recorded four hits, and those only came from the top four batters in the lineup, as the rest of the Bears went 0-12. 

UCA took on Sam Houston (3-2) in the final game of the tournament in Huntsville Texas, and the Bearkats came out on top 6-4. 

Currie was the starting pitcher for the Bears, and she could not replicate her previous outing as she pitched 1.1 innings, and gave up six runs and six hits. 

Bowlin took over in the circle for the remainder of the game and she pitched 4.2 innings while one hit on 0 runs and she struck out two. 

Robertson hit another home run for the Bears, putting her at three now on the season. 

UCA will take on Radford University (0-0) in the Troy Tournament Feb. 13.