The UCA Bears baseball team (15-17, 5-7 ASUN) dropped game one of three in the season series to University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff (15-19, 8-4 SWAC), 3-13 March 31. 

This game marked the first loss against the Golden Lions since 2015, and unfortunately for the Bears, it was a 7th inning run-rule walk-off win that secured the fifth consecutive win for UAPB.  

The Bears’ pitching staff surrendered 15 hits to the Golden Lions in the loss. 

The UCA pitching just could not keep up with the Golden Lions’ bats, as they already had a 0-4 lead in the 3rd inning. 

The leadoff hitter for UAPB was redshirt freshman left-fielder Jose Vasquez, and he was a key bat in the big win, going 3-3 with a walk and two RBIs, as well as two runs scored. 

The one home run in the game came off the bat of Golden Lions’ junior third baseman Zack Wieder. 

That blast into right field was a two-run homer in the 6th inning for UAPB, making it a 2-7 Golden Lions lead. 

For the Bears batters, freshman center-fielder Jayden Sloan led the way with a hit in three at-bats, two RBIs and a stolen base to his credit. 

Although the Bears scored three runs in the loss, none of the runs scored were earned for the UAPB pitching staff. Junior pitcher Jordan Medellin threw 4.2 innings of no-hit ball, walking one Bear and striking out five, as well as hitting two. 

Junior pitcher Nate Lee came on to relieve Medellin in the 5th inning, and he threw 2.1 innings of zero unearned ball as well, striking out one lone UCA batter, walking zero and allowing just three hits. 

UCA used four different pitchers combined in the loss. 

Starting the game for UCA was junior pitcher JB Williams. 

Williams would go on to only pitch three innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out two and walking two. 

Sophomore pitcher Nicholas French would relieve Williams in the 4th inning. 

He allowed three runs on four hits, walked one and struck out one. 

Senior pitcher Kannon Nesslage and junior pitcher Aaron Fitch combined to pitch the last 0.3 innings before getting run ruled by UAPB. 

The inning UAPB broke out was the 6th. 

They scored six runs on six hits, and the inning started with an RBI single by Vasquez, then the two-run shot by Wieder. 

The inning continued after two costly mistakes by the Bears, one being a passed ball that advanced a runner, and another being a catcher interference call that put someone on base. 

The Bears will play UAPB for two more regular season games at UCA April 7 and April 24.