The UCA baseball team fell to the Eastern Michigan University Eagles 14-6 in its second of three games in its home-opening set Feb. 23.

The 14-6 loss came after a 9-5 loss to the Eagles on Saturday. 

“I thought we had a good start from [redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher] Lucas Greer,” UCA baseball coach Nick Harlan said. “I thought he came out of the game and gave us a chance to win. I thought he made some competitive pitches, installments that minimize the ends.”

The Bears (2-4) started off strong with a run from junior infielder Keon Moseni off of a balk from Eastern Michigan right-handed pitcher Tyler Kapa. 

The Eagles (2-4) answered in the next inning with a run from junior infielder Bruce Jellison. 

A scoreless third inning saw 0 hits, 0 errors, and one player left on base for both teams. 

Eastern Michigan senior outfielder Logan Hugo hit a home run to center field after his teammate, senior outfielder Giano Zuccaro was grounded out to second base to kick off the top of the fourth inning. 

The Bears answered with three runs at the bottom of the fourth inning.

Senior infielder/left-handed pitcher Jagger Schattle hit a run batted in, doubling to left center and allowing senior catcher Casey Shipley to score a run. 

Freshman infielder/right-handed pitcher Luke Carner singled to center field, setting Schattle up to take third base. 

In the following play, Carner stole second base to set the Bears up with players on second and third base. 

Sophomore outfielder Zeb Allen then hit a single through the left side, scoring 2 runs batted in by way of Schattle and Carner. 

The Eagles began to take off in the fifth inning, scoring six runs. 

Eastern Michigan senior catcher Brendan Kleiman hit a run batted in, doubling to left center, allowing junior outfielder John Hale to score a run. 

After Eastern Michigan junior infielder Devan Zirwas was hit by a pitch, the Bears swapped Greer with senior right-handed pitcher Perry Titlow. 

Greer pitched for 4.1 innings and allowed 5 hits, 5 runs and faced 21 batters. 

Zuccaro hit a single to right field, leading to both Kleiman and Zirwas scoring runs. 

With the bases loaded, junior utility Kevin Krill was hit by a pitch, allowing Jellison to score a run. 

Freshman infielder Connor Walsh hit 2 runs batted in, which were scored by Zuccaro and Hugo.

“We needed to get that first out; we had runners on first and third,” Harlan said. “[Titlow] is kind of a double-play pitcher, and was hoping to get a ground ball and turn it into a double play and get out of the inning, but that just didn’t happen, and it kind of got away from us right there.” 

The Bears tried to respond to Eastern Michigan’s scoring burst at the bottom of the fifth inning, but scored only 2 runs, which would be their last runs of the game. 

UCA junior infielder/catcher Bryce Cermenelli doubled to left center, allowing Moseni to score a run for the Bears. 

Cermenelli scored UCA’s final run of the game off a hit from redshirt freshman infielder Sam Reynolds. 

The Eagles continued their scoring burst from the fifth inning into the sixth, scoring the final 6 runs of the game. 

After facing two batters in the sixth inning, Titlow was swapped for left-handed pitcher/outfielder Jaxson Ingle.Titlow pitched for .2 innings, allowing 3 hits, 5 runs, and facing eight batters. 

Zirwas was the first batter Ingle faced, and he doubled down the right field line, allowing Hale to score a run. 

Jellison then walked, followed by Zuccaro being hit by Ingle’s pitch with the bases loaded, which resulted in a run batted in, scored by Kleiman. 

Ingle was then swapped for freshman right-handed pitcher Luke Lorence after allowing one hit and 3 runs, facing three batters. 

Hugo, the first batter Lorence faced, grounded out to third base, allowing Zirwas to score another run. 

Krill then doubled down the left field line, scoring 2 runs batted in by way of Jellison and Zuccaro. 

The Eagles finished the top of the sixth inning with 6 runs, 4 hits and one player left on base. 

Neither team scored any runs for the rest of the game. 

Freshman right-handed pitcher Tate Collins stepped in to pitch in the seventh inning, and would pitch for the remainder of the game for the Bears. 

Collins did not allow any hits nor runs, allowed two bases on walks and struck out one batter, while facing 11 batters. 

The Eagles ended the game with 14 runs, 11 hits, and no errors. 

UCA scored 6 runs and had 10 hits as well as one error throughout the game. 

The Bears were able to pull off a 10-9 win Monday against the Eagles.

Eastern Michigan won the set 2-1.

UCA will host a three-game set against the Central Connecticut University Blue Devils, with the first game Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in Bear Stadium.