Rivals on their best behavior

Scott Norwood and Allen Gum will speak for the first time in three weeks before their baseball teams meet tonight at Gary Hogan Field.

Chances are, the conversation will be more cordial than the last time they met.

UALR (16-22) hosts Central Arkansas (22-15) at 6 tonight in Little Rock. It will be the first time the teams have played each other since their last meeting was marred April 2 by an ugly bench-clearing brawl in the 10th inning of a game in Conway.

Norwood said Tuesday that he doesn’t anticipate any tension prior to the game or any similar incidents this time.

“I think we know how to handle it,” Norwood said. “It’s been addressed in the past and we’ve moved forward, and I’m sure they’ve done the same. It’s nothing personal.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, and we’re going to all learn from it and it’ll be fine.”

Gum declined Tuesday through the school’s sports information office to talk about tonight’s game or the April 2 incident in which he and Norwood argued on the infield before players spilled onto the field. In videos posted online, Norwood appeared to have been shoved by UCA assistant coach Nate Kline, who was given a four-game suspension following the brawl.

In all, seven players - four from UALR and three from UCA - were suspended a combined 32 games for their roles in the fight that caused a 20-minute delay in a game that UCA eventually won 5-4 in 11 innings. Gum and Norwood voluntarily sat out of their team’s next game.

Gum told KUCA-FM, 91.3, two days after the fight that he regretted his involvement.

“I could have executed better leadership in that situation,” Gum said on the air before UCA played Southeastern Louisiana on April 4. “I failed. I apologize to my family, to the Bear nation, to our coaches and to our players. We’ll learn from this. Hopefully nothing like this will ever happen again.”

After some discussion the teams decided to play tonight’s game, and Norwood said he doesn’t foresee any similar incidents unfolding. He said he hasn’t talked to his players about their previous game with UCA, and he doesn’t plan to.

“Mistakes were made, and you move forward,” he said. “Athletics are supposed to be a teaching tool, and we’re using it as that.”

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 4, ARKANSAS STATE 3

Chandler Hawkins struck out a career-high 10 batters while allowing 1 run on 2 hits for Arkansas State, but Central Arkansas rallied for three runs, including a game-winning single from Brandon Montalvo in the bottom of the ninth to earn a victory Tuesday in Conway.

The Bears (22-15) scored two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3 on a single by Doug Votolato, his only hit of the game, and scored the game winner on Montalvo’s single to end the Red Wolves’ (24-17) six-game winning streak. Scott Zimmer led off the ninth with a double and moved up on a sacrifice bunt before scoring the game-winning run.

Montalvo finished 2 for 4 for the Bears with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. Justin Treece went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Joe Schrimpf scored and drove in a run for Arkansas State, both with the use of a bunt. He reached on a bunt single in the fourth inning and advanced to second base on a throwing error. Schrimpf reached third after a balk was called on UCA starter Josh Markel and scored on a ground out by Kaleb Brown. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 6, UALR 5

Catcher Mike Wieland’s two-out single to right field drove in the winning run in the 10th inning Tuesday as Arkansas-Pine Bluff (17-23) defeated UALR (16-22) in a nonconference game at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.

The game-winning hit capped a productive day for Wieland, who finished 1 for 3 and walked 3 times while driving in 1 run and scoring 3 times. Shortstop Isias Alcantar was 2 for 3 with 1 walk and 1 run scored, while first baseman Andre Davis was 3 for 5 with 1 RBI.

Designated hitter Joseph Paulino led UALR’s offense, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI. Tanner Rockwell, Petr Sila and Sam Vogel also drove in runs for UALR, which was outhit 11-6 by the Golden Lions.

Tonight’s game CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT UALR WHEN 6 p.m.

WHERE Gary Hogan Field, Little Rock RECORDS UALR 16-22, Central Arkansas 22-15 RADIO KUCA, 91.3, in Conway TICKETS $6 adults, $4 children INTERNET ualrtrojans.com, ucasports.com

Sports, Pages 19 on 04/23/2014

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