UCA regrouped from back-to-back losses beginning the season to beat Missouri State University 6-4 in game three at Bear Stadium Sunday.
The first game of the 2014 season saw UCA fall behind early, as MSU gained a 2-0 lead in the second inning on three hits and an error by UCA senior pitcher Bryce Biggerstaff.
Errors were common in the game for UCA, as it committed five of them on the day.
UCA scored its first run of the season in the third, as senior shortstop Justin Treece hit a triple off MSU sophomore starting pitcher Matt Hall and then scored off sophomore third baseman Chris Townsend’s sacrifice fly. MSU responded in the fourth when a double by senior outfielder Patrick Drake scored senior first baseman Conor Smith to make it a 3-1 game.
UCA took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Senior designated hitter Scott Zimmerle’s single scored senior outfielder Doug Votolato and a bases-loaded single by Treece scored two more runs to make it 4-3.
MSU junior third baseman Dylan Becker hit a two-run home run after an error by UCA second baseman Lee Raley, and sophomore catcher Matt Fultz’s single scored sophomore designated hitter Spencer Johnson as MSU regained the lead in the fifth at 6-4.
UCA junior first baseman Nate Ferrell scored on an error by MSU senior pitcher Cody Schumacher in the bottom of the fifth.
Drake scored on a fielder’s choice as MSU sophomore outfielder Tate Matheny reached base after senior John Rand replaced Biggerstaff as pitcher for UCA in the sixth. Missouri State had a big seventh inning, scoring four runs on three hits and two errors by UCA to cement the final score 11-5, as junior pitcher Chris Caudle replaced Rand midway through the inning.
Biggerstaff took the loss for UCA, pitching five innings while allowing eight hits and five earned runs. Schumacher got the win for MSU with four innings in relief, allowing two hits and zero earned runs.
Junior pitcher Connor McClain got the start on Saturday for UCA, allowing two hits through the first three innings with no scoring on either side.
McClain struggled in the fourth inning, however, walking three and throwing two wild pitches. MSU scored two runs on Fultz’s double down the right field line, and Fultz would later come home on another double by Drake.
UCA came up empty again in the fourth, but two more doubles led to two more runs for Missouri State in the fifth to make it 5-0 as UCA replaced McClain with junior pitcher Josh Markel.
UCA finally scored in the bottom of the fifth after a bases-loaded walk by a new MSU pitcher, freshman Jordan Knutson. Missouri State scored its final run of the game in the sixth when a single by Becker scored junior infielder Joey Hawkins to make it 6-1.
UCA rallied late, with a solo home run by sophomore outfielder Tyler Langley in the eighth and a single by Ferrell that scored Treece and Townsend in the ninth, but came up short with a final score of 6-4.
MSU pitcher Bryan Young got the win after allowing two earned runs on three hits in 3.1 innings.
McClain suffered the loss for UCA, with five earned runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Sophomore pitcher Connor Gilmore got the nod for UCA in game three, and MSU struck first with a run from Matheny after an error by Townsend in the first inning.
Sophomore catcher Brandon Montalvo drove home Ferrell in the second for UCA, tying the game 1-1.
Missouri State added two more in the fourth after a home run from sophomore catcher Tyler Harris, but UCA answered with a single from junior outfielder Wesley Hoover that scored Langley.
MSU scored again in the fifth with another home run, this time from Smith.
UCA answered again with two runs of its own, as Zimmerle brought home sophomore third baseman Matt Anderson and a triple by Townsend scored Treece, tying the game at four.
Neither team scored until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Bears scored two runs.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Ferrell blasted a single into center field as Treece and Votolato came home to score the eventual winning runs and UCA went on to win 6-4.
“I had full confidence Nate was going to get that hit, but I was thinking about scoring any way I could,” he said. “Whether that be a past ball or the ball just kicked a couple feet from the catcher.
The win went to Caudle, who didn’t give up a run or a hit in two innings.
MSU junior pitcher Zach Merciez got the loss despite not allowing an earned run on one hit in 1.1 innings.
While a 1-2 start is not what UCA had in mind after starting off 17-3 a year ago, Zimmerle said the win on Sunday is big for momentum going forward.
“It was huge,” Zimmerle said. “It was good to get the ball rolling and a great win to build off of. We’ll be looking to carry that momentum all the way to Kansas
on Tuesday.”
UCA will head to Abilene Christian University to play in in of Technology on Saturday and Sunday.
UCA opens at Abilene at 4 p.m. Friday playing confernece foe the Wildcats.