Softball falls to SELA in game one
Saturday, March 1 @ 2:29 PM
Head baseball coach Doug Clark said earlier this week that to win you need base runners. Well, the same obviously holds true in softball, and the Bears struggled to get any of those necessary runners and fell to Southeastern Louisiana 8-3.SELA, on the other hand, had more than enough base runners, and their pitcher, Rachel Ray (seriously), did a very good job of keeping UCA’s batters walking directly back to the dugout most of the game.
Ray pitched 5-1/3 innings of hitless ball before the Bears finally got things started offensively.
UCA, already down 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth, got on the board when the bats started connecting solidly to Ray's pitches for three doubles and a homer by right-fielder Hannah Ambrose to cut the lead to five. But the comeback stalled there with a runner on second.
To Ray’s credit, she stayed on the mound and got out of the inning with a strikeout.
Not only were the bats struggling for most of the game, UCA’s defense cost them dearly a couple times as well. There were two errors made in the Bears outfield. And both came just before bases-clearing doubles in those two big innings for SELA.
The Lions pounded the ball for 16 hits and scored in just two innings, but both netted four runs, enough for the win.
Lindsey Harris picked up the loss for UCA.
SELA (12-4, 3-1 SLC) came into the game after taking two of three from Nicholls State. This was UCA's first conference matchup of the season and the first home games.
Writer’s note: I forgot how much those players talk on the softball field/in the dugouts. Listening to some of that stuff is entertaining enough, but the game is on such a small field that everything moves pretty quickly. The home season just started today, so you have plenty of time to get out there and watch some games.