The UCA softball team fell to the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels 2-0 in a two-game series March 14 in its first ASUN matchup of the season.

The Bears (11-15, ASUN 0-1) lost 2-1 in the first game against the Colonels (18-6, ASUN 1-0) coming out the victors after a long 11-inning first game.

UCA senior infielder Kylie Griffin scored the first run of the game during the top of the first inning by way of a run batted in by graduate student infielder Maddi Young.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Colonels retaliated with a run by junior outfielder Jaelin Haynes. 

The Bears and the Colonels continued to fight it out at 1-1 for another ten innings until Haynes scored the Colonels a game-winning run by way of an RBI by sophomore pitcher Maddi Rutan.

The Colonels dominated the second game 11-1 in five innings.

EKU sophomore pitcher Victoria Byrum pitched the entire five-inning game facing a total of 18 batters and allowing four hits and one run.

The UCA softball team went up to bat first, scoring no runs during the top of the first inning.

Haynes came up to bat for EKU’s first hit of the game and got out at first base.

This was followed by a foul out to left field by sophomore outfielder Reese Knox and a walk by sophomore utility Kennedy Drafton.

EKU then scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning by way of an RBI by Rutan which was scored by Drafton. 

The Colonels followed with another run made by Rutan by way of an RBI by freshman infielder Jada McLeod who hit a single through middle field.

McLeod then advanced to second base due to a single by freshman utility Riley Oleksik.

EKU freshman catcher Skyler Billips went up to bat next and hit a single up middle field which allowed McLeod to score the third run of the game by way of an RBI.

A walk by redshirt sophomore Taci Haase resulted in bases loaded with the Colonels leading 3-0.

With a single to center field hit by sophomore outfielder Makayla Mathis, Oleksik and Billips scored a run each.

After this fifth run by EKU, senior pitcher Julia Petty went to pitch for Layfield who had allowed five hits and five runs while facing nine batters.

The first inning ended with two players left on base and the Colonels up 5-0.

The Bears failed to respond during the second inning after all its batters got out.

Knox came up to bat for EKU at the start of the bottom of the second inning and was hit by a pitch, advancing to first base.

She and Drafton scored the next two runs for the Colonels by way of an RBI by McLeod.

After both Oleksik and Billips struck out and a walk by Haase, Mathis hit a single up middle field which allowed both McLeod and Rutan to run home safely scoring two more runs for EKU.

The Bears retaliated in the third inning when sophomore outfielder Renee Christian scored a run by way of an RBI by Griffin.

At the start of the bottom of the third inning, freshman pitcher Lucy Crowder went to pitch for Petty who had allowed two hits and four runs while facing ten batters.

The Bears prevented any more runs by EKU during the third inning, but the Colonels did the same in the top of the fourth.

EKU scored twice in the fourth inning when McLeod advanced to home due to a fielding error and sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Wallis by way of an RBI by Haase.

The Colonels managed to shut the Bears out in the fifth inning resulting in a 11-1 game.

McLeod led the Colonels with three total runs and three RBI. Followed by Rutan at two runs.

The Bears hit the road for a three-game series against North Alabama on March 21 and 22.