Sophomore left fielder Zeb Allen got two hits and junior starting pitcher Charlie Christensen struck out six in UCA’s 6-2 victory over the Northwestern State Demons in the baseball Bears season opener Feb. 14.  

UCA got after the Demons’ pitching early when leadoff hitter Zeb Allen drew a four-pitch walk. 

Allen would score on an RBI single from junior third baseman Bryce Cermenelli. 

The Bears would score another run on a fielder’s choice double-play to go up 2-0 after the 1st – a lead they would never relinquish. 

Starter Charlie Christensen would cruise through four innings of work, allowing just one run while striking out six Northwestern batters. 

The Bears’ bullpen would ride the momentum, with three pitchers giving up just four hits and one run across five innings. 

UCA would put up two more runs in the fifth inning off of an error by Demons redshirt junior second baseman Cade Preagant. 

An additional pair of runs in the seventh inning put the Bears up 6-1. While Northwestern State would get one more run in the bottom of the seventh, junior reliever Hunter Alexander closed the door with four strikeouts across the eighth and ninth to give UCA the win. 

Defensively, the Bears had no errors and six outfield assists. UCA also turned two double-plays and forced Northwestern State to strand nine runners. 

Coming off of a 26-30 season in 2024, the win emphasized the importance of a strong start to the year. 

UCA had also started the 2024 season in the Bayou state, losing two out of three to Virginia Military Institute in Baton Rouge. 

The baseball Bears will hope that the opening day win in Nacogdoches will be a sign of the season to come.