ABILENE, Texas - ACU's
Peyton Hedrick came within inches of hitting a walk-off home run against Central Arkansas, but the ball was dropped at the right-field fence for a one-base error and the Southland's top pitcher Kaylee Studioso came back with a couple more strikeouts to hold off the Wildcats, 5-4, Friday night at Poly Wells Field.
The win improved UCA's season and conference marks to 19-7 and 7-0, while the Wildcats fell to 5-19 and 1-7.
Studioso finished the night with a dozen Ks but had a difficult time putting away the Wildcats as the home team jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third and came within an eyelash of winning the game in the seventh.
The final frame started with a double to the left-center gap by
Demi McNulty and single through the left side by
Taylor Brown.
Kristin Watkins then drove in McNulty on a fielder's choice to cut UCA's lead to 5-4.
Hedrick, who also missed a home run to left-center by a foot in the fifth inning, lifted a deep fly to right field that appeared to have the distance. But right fielder Briana Whisenhunt camped underneath the ball at the warning track, caught it for a split second before unexpectedly dropping it .
The near-catch, however, worked out well for the Bears as it kept Watkins from rolling past second past.
With runners now at first and second, Studioso struck
Holly Neese out swinging on a 2-2 pitch and got pinch-hitter
Baylee Travers chasing a 1-2 pitch to end the game at 132 pitches.
Neese homered to lead off the second inning to break a scoreless tie and in the third the Wildcats plated an unearned run when second baseman Sarah Bigej dropped a pop up off the end of Hedrick's bat.
The Wildcats carried their 2-0 lead in the fifth where things began to slip away from starter
Emily Seidel, who has just retired the side the previous inning on 10 pitches. But she gave up a leadoff home run to Amy Gunnels to begin the frame followed by a single to Sam Forrest and double to Whisenhunt.
Bigej, Jessie Taylor and Hannah Stirton all then reached on walks, the last of which gave the Bears a 3-2 lead. And after
Julia Montoya came in to relieve Seidel, Audrey Pratt lifted a sacrifice fly to right for UCA's final run of the fifth.
Montoya went on to retire the next five batters she faced, but in the seventh she walked Bigej, who scored on a two-out single off the glove of third-baseman Neese that made it 5-3.
Seidel gave up four runs on four hits and six walks while striking out two. Montoya was credited with 3.0 innings pitch in which she allowed just one hit and the walk.
Brown paced the ACU offense with three hits and two runs as the Wildcats outhit the Bears, 6-5.
The Wildcats and Bears are hoping to conclude their series Saturday with a doubleheader, but rain is predicted through most of the day.
