Echo Sports

The UCA softball team got a pair of victories this weekend in the GSC crossover.

Friday's victim was West Alabama. UCA edged past UWA 7-6 by way of a winning run scored at the top of the seventh. The Bears went ahead 6-5 in the sixth inning but saw the Lady Tigers tie it at 6-6 in the bottom half of the inning. UCA scored the winning run in the top of the seventh when Janell Brooks walked, was sacrificed to second and scored on a throwing error by the UWA shortstop.

Brooks, Maegan Bell and Erika Okarski all had two hits. Freshman Natalie Faulkner got the complete-game victory, allowing eight hits and striking out four. On Saturday against Valdosta State, the Bears were forced to rally again, this time in the bottom of the seventh after the Lady Blazers had taken a 6-3 lead with two runs in the top of the inning.

Leslie Clothier started it with a walk, and Bell followed with a single. Marquita Smith reached on an error, scoring both Bell and Clothier. Kristen Coots followed with a single that scored Smith, and Brooks added another single. Then Okarski got a base hit and scored pinch runner Erin Beth Davis to give the Bears the victory.

Bell, Brooks and Okarski were all 2 for 4, with the latter two adding RBIs. Darcy Kavalir got the win after pitching a complete game. She allowed 10 hits and struck out three. Saturday gainst North Alabama, the Bears were unable to rally for a third victory in the crossover.

The Bears did close a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 with single runs in the sixth and seventh but couldn't finish the victory. UCA had just four hits. Faulkner also limited UNA to four hits. Last Tuesday, Northeastern State swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from UCA winning 4-1 and 6-3 at Farris Field.

The Lady Reds (20-13) got a four-hitter from starting pitcher Lacie O'Dell in the opener. She struck out seven and allowed only one run in the first inning. In the second game, UCA fell behind 2-0 but tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run home run to left center by Smith in the third inning.

NSU went back ahead 3-2 in the top of the fifth, but UCA answered again. Bell singled to center and stole second base before Coots had an RBI single to right field to tie it at 3-3.

UCA then committed four errors in the sixth inning, and NSU scored three runs on just one hit to make it 6-3. The Bears had back-to-back hits in the seventh, but NSU's Jessica Gouskos pitched out of the jam.