The UCA softball team (24-8, 8-1 ASUN) beat the Jacksonville Dolphins (17-17, 4-5 ASUN) three times back-to-back this weekend for the Sugar Bears’ third series win this season.
The Sugar Bears traveled to Florida to face Jacksonville University, playing two games on Saturday and one on Sunday.
“It’s always a good feeling when you can go on the road to a place you’ve never been before and win three games,” Jenny Parsons, UCA softball coach, said.
Jacksonville put up a fight in the first game of the series on Saturday. The Sugar Bears and the Dolphins traded the lead for a while until the score was tied at 2-2 at the end of the fourth inning. UCA scored a whopping five runs in the fifth inning, bringing the score up to 7-2 and cementing the Sugar Bears’ first win of the series.
The first game against the Dolphins was also the longest game of the UCA softball season so far, at over two-and-a-half hours long.
Scores didn’t get as high in the second game but the Sugar Bears maintained their momentum, winning 2-0 over Jacksonville.
UCA’s defense prevented the Dolphins from getting a run for the entire second game partly thanks to the efforts of redshirt junior pitcher Kayla Beaver, who earned her fifth shutout of the year, marking a strong finish to the first day of the series.
Other highlights from game two include junior outfielder Tremere Harris reaching base on the first bat of the game for the sixth game in a row.
“They were all close games, we didn’t hit as well as we needed to, but in certain situations, we pitched really well,” Parsons said.
The Dolphins and the Sugar Bears faced each other a final time on Sunday in another low-scoring game where the Sugar Bears shut them out for the second time in a row, winning 1-0 thanks to a run in the fifth inning from redshirt junior outfielder Jenna Wildeman.
Redshirt senior pitcher Jordan Johnson pitched a one-hitter — pitching a perfect game until the fifth inning — and the Sugar Bears got four hits.
“Jordan Johnson pitched really well today [Sunday]. She struggled getting adjusted to the mound on Saturday, but then today settled down really well,” Parsons said.
Jordan, from Paola, Kansas, struck out eight batters, earning her fourth shutout of the year. A solid UCA performance and series finale win against Jacksonville.
This series was the Sugar Bears’ first time ever playing against the Jacksonville University Dolphins.
The UCA softball team’s next stop is in Springfield, Missouri, to face the Missouri State University Bears on April 4, before playing against the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles in another series on April 7 and 8, this time at Farris Field. The UCA softball team will host an Easter Egg Hunt right after their third game on April 8 for kids 12 and under.