The Bears baseball team went head-to-head in an in-state battle with the Arkansas Razorbacks, ultimately falling 9-2 on March 11.
Facing off against Razorback pitcher Colin Fisher, the Bears had a tough road ahead, as Fisher has a collective 2.79 earned-run average in 38.2 innings in college.
Although sophomore left fielder Zeb Allen led off with a popout, freshman shortstop Nathan Negre doubled to left-center field, putting him on second base with one out. Unfortunately for the Bears, the next two batters were retired, leaving Negre stranded on second.
UCA sent senior pitcher Perry Titlow to the mound, and he breezed through the first inning, striking out two batters and retiring the side in order.
The Bears bats stayed cold in the second after going three up three down.
Neither team scored until the bottom half of the second, where designated hitter Kuhio Aloy led off the inning with a walk, and then third baseman Brent Iredale hit a two-run home run just over the left field wall.
Following the home run, The Bears were able to stop the bleeding but still trailed 2-0.
After the Razorbacks sat UCA down in order in the top of the third, Arkansas’ bats came alive again after surrendering another two-run home run to Aloy, making the score 4-0 Razorbacks.
After a leadoff single for Negre in the fourth, followed by a balk that advanced the runner, junior third baseman Bryce Cermenelli singled past the shortstop, putting runners on first and third base with no outs for UCA.
After senior catcher Casey Shipley struck out looking, junior right fielder Blaine French singled to right field, scoring Negre and advancing Cermenelli to second. Unfortunately for the Bears, their rally ended after a double play ended the inning. The Razorback lead only got bigger as the game went on, as Iredale singled in two runs with the bases loaded, scoring two runs and putting runners on first and third base.
At this point, the Razorbacks had a 6-1 lead over the Bears. Unfortunately for UCA, the next batter, first baseman Cam Kozeal hit a three-run home run to left field, extending the Razorbacks’ lead to 9-1.
Although UCA had two runners on base after a hit-by-pitch and a walk in the top of the fifth, they still could not produce runs, stranding the two runners on first and second. Freshman pitcher Luke Lorence went in to pitch in the bottom of the fifth and did well after surrendering a walk and striking out two Arkansas batters, keeping the lead at 9-1.
Cermenelli led off the sixth inning with a single to center field. Then, Shipley followed with a single to left. With runners on first and second, French flew out to center field, and redshirt freshman right fielder Sam Reynolds struck out swinging. With two outs, senior first baseman Jagger Schattle got on base with a walk, loading the bases. Senior designated hitter Preston Curtis struck out swinging, stranding the bases loaded.
After Allen got on base with a walk in the top of the seventh, Cermenelli singled him home, making the score 9-2 Arkansas. UCA could not get the offense going in the eighth and ninth, and fell to the Razorbacks, 9-2.