The UCA softball team capped off a sweep of the Lipscomb University Bisons with a 9-6 win April 19.
The Bears (23-24, ASUN 11-6) also won both games against Lipscomb in Friday’s double-header 5-3 and 10-2.
“I thought we hit the ball well,” UCA head softball coach Jenny Parsons said. “I thought we provided run support for our pitchers and defense. We played really solid defense; we had maybe one error, but we saved a lot of runs with how well we played defense.”
The Bisons (20-26, ASUN 7-11) looked to waste no time in the first inning, racking up three consecutive singles to load the bases before sophomore catcher Brenna Sherman went up to bat. Sherman hit an RBI, which was scored by sophomore center fielder Macyn Kirby.
With runners on second and third base, junior second baseman Presley Rader capitalized, batting in another run, which was scored by sophomore shortstop Alyssa Hastings.
Redshirt junior third baseman Josey Polk attempted to add to Lipscomb’s scoring streak, but was tagged out at home base by freshman catcher Aeryn Shuman.
The Bears clapped back in the bottom of the first inning, with senior third baseman Kylie Griffin scoring UCA’s first run of the game off a double hit by graduate shortstop Madi Young.
Freshman center fielder Addie Graham then scored off an RBI hit by freshman first baseman Kaitlyn Graham to tie the score 2-2.
“Addie Graham had a great weekend,” Parsons said. “She had two hits [April 19] and probably five hits [April 18] and a lot of RBIs; she had a great weekend.”
Freshman center fielder Addie Graham dives for home plate after running from first base to score for the Bears, dodging the tag from sophomore catcher Brenna Sherman. Graham has scored 39 runs in her debut season for the Bears.
The Bears started to get their defense together in the top of the second inning, holding the Bisons to zero runs and hits.
With runners on first and third base, Griffin doubled to right center field, allowing senior designated player Emma Robertson to run to home base and establish a lead for the Bears.
The Bears loaded the bases after A. Graham walked. Young then batted in a run that Shuman scored. UCA then scored two runs courtesy of Griffin and A. Graham off a double hit by K. Graham, which brought the score to 6-2 to round out the second inning.
In the top of the third inning, Lipscomb was able to load the bases with their first three batters, and UCA freshman pitcher Madge Layfield went to pitch for senior pitcher Bailie Runner.
Hastings scored her second run of the game off an RBI hit by Rader to tighten the Bears’ lead to 6-3.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the fifth inning, where K. Graham scored off an RBI hit by Robertson.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, A. Graham, starting at first base, scored off a double hit by Young. K. Graham then doubled to center field, off of which Young scored.
“The double in the [sixth] inning really helped us win that game,” Parsons said.
The Bisons tried to make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three more runs off a homer hit by Rader.
After junior left fielder Elle Smith hit a single immediately after the home run, sophomore pitcher Paityn Engemann went to pitch for Layfield. UCA’s defense beat senior first baseman Tori Womack to first base, concluding the game and securing the series sweep for the Bears.
Engemann said, “I kind of just stepped into my role and I was ready to get the ball to pitch, finally, so I just trusted my stuff and just did what I could do.”
With Saturday’s victory against the Bisons, UCA secured their spot in the ASUN Championship for the fourth consecutive season.
The Bears will hit the road to Clarksville, Tennessee to take on the Austin Peay State University Governors this weekend, with one game each April 25, 26 and 27.
“As of right now we are tied with Austin Peay for second in our division,” Parsons said. “So we need to have some momentum going there. Hopefully, we can finish two out of three we can finish [ranked second in ASUN.]”
UCA will then conclude the regular season at home with a three-game series against the University of North Alabama Lions with one game May 2 and a double-header May 3.