Good start, finish leads to win
The Bears scored six runs in their entire weekend series against UAB last weekend – all six in Sunday’s game. They continued the offense in the first inning of Tuesday’s game with UALR at Gary Hogan Field.
The Bears scored five runs from its first five batters, forcing UALR to make a pitching change even before the first out was recorded. They then hit a lull in the scoring until the ninth inning where they secured the 12-7 win over the Trojans.
“Nice inning, especially after the weekend,” Coach Doug Clark said. “To come back and win on Sunday [at UAB] for us was huge. It was a mental day, an attitude day. We played as bad as we can play but to turn around and have that inning [today], it was nice. It gave the pitcher some confidence. We settled down.”
Kevin Rawls and Graham Martin started the inning with back-to-back hits. Then, Matt Warren hit his third homer of the season. Chris Davis followed with a walk, and then Derrick Corso, who’d been struggling at the plate and came into the game batting just .200, hit a two-run homer to put UCA up 5-0 and chase UALR’s starter. Jonathan Ashworth, who got the start at second base, switching with Graham Martin at short, singled and scored the sixth run of the inning on a Trojan fielding error.
In all, the Bears sent 10 hitters to the plate in the top of the first and took a 6-0 lead.
UALR got one back in the bottom of the inning and slowly chipped away while the Bears were only able to score one more run in the next five innings. That lone run came off Corso’s second homer of the game.
“He’s got to feel good about himself right there,” Corso said. “He’s been making adjustments.”
Jeremy Cloud, in his first start of the season, gave up 10 hits and five runs – four earned – in four innings. Daniel Price, the usual starter on Friday’s, followed with two innings that netted the Trojans two more unearned runs, tying the game at 7-7.
Defensive woes cost the Bears three runs through the first five innings.
“We gave them runs, they gave us some runs. It was just an ugly game,” Clark said.
“I’ve got to figure out when to put the defensive guys in, or if they’re in when to put the offensive guys in.”
Clark said the plan going into the game was to pitch four or five guys, and that’s exactly what they did. Fortunately for the Bears, the fourth and fifth guys came in and pitched well.
James Parsons pitched the seventh, giving up one hit and no runs. The kind of performance UCA needed after taking a one-run lead in the top of the inning.
Bobby Pritchett closed out the game in scoreless work.
“Parsons did a good job. Pritchett did outstanding. He came in and really closed the door. He really did a nice job.”
The Bears made the ninth a little more comfortable for Pritchett, adding four more runs off four more hits.
“That was nice. Our guys compete – like those comeback wins against St. Louis.”
The Bears were outhit by the Trojans and committed more errors, but the first and final innings were the difference in the game.
Seven of the UCA starters had at least one hit. The 3-through-5 hitters – Warren, Davis and Corso – had two hits each. Ashworth and Cline, at the bottom of the order, each came through with three hits.
Price got the win in relief.
Next up for the Bears is Oral Roberts this weekend in Tulsa.
“They are good,” Clark said. “They’ve got a lot of guys back from last year and they went to a super regional. They’ve played a tough schedule, and played on the road and all that. Now they are at home, so you know we’re looking forward to it. This will be great for our kids mentally to play in this environment.”
With Price getting work today, the Bears expect to start Ashworth or Parsons in Friday’s game, followed by Matt Whitaker on Saturday and Price on Sunday.
All three games will be on the UCA Sports Network (91.3 FM) and available online at UCASports.com.