State sports briefs

SOFTBALL UCA sweeps doubleheader

Central Arkansas swept a doubleheader against UAPB on Wednesday in Conway, winning 10-2 and 16-2.

In the first game, UCA (6-11) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Sarah Bigej scored from third base on a passed ball. UAPB (1-6) took advantage of a walk, a triple and a wild pitch in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead, but UCA scored eight runs on eight hits in the bottom of the fourth.

Ciara Clampitt (2-3) picked up the complete-game victory for the Bears, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in 5 innings. Lacie Sutterfield (1-4) took the loss for the Lady Lions, giving up 9 runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

UAPB jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the second game, but UCA scored 12 runs in the bottom of the inning to take control. Jessie Taylor got 5 RBI in the inning on a three-run home run and a two-run double, while Randi Wallace had a two-run triple and Taylor Dear had a two-run single.

Kelsie Barker (1-0) earned the victory for UCA, overcoming the 2 runs to allow 5 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts. Shanice Murry lasted a third of an inning for UAPB, allowing 12 runs on 7 hits with 5 walks. Alexsis McCain worked 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.

BASKETBALL Harding women, Tech men stand pat

The Harding women’s team stayed at No. 2 in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings released Wednesday, while the Arkansas Tech men remained at No. 7.

It’s the second consecutive week Harding (24-1) has been second in the rankings behind top-ranked Emporia State. Minnesota State-Mankato leads the men’s rankings, followed by Central Missouri, Northwest Missouri, Missouri Southern, Winona State and Fort Hays State. After Arkansas Tech (18-8), St. Cloud State, Central Oklahoma and Minnesota State-Moorhead round out the top 10.

BASEBALL Arkansas Baptist splits with NW Mississippi

Colton Welch was 3 for 6 and Dereck Wooten picked up his third victory as the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes earned a split with No. 15 Northwest Mississippi. The Buffaloes won the first game 9-3 and dropped the second game 8-2.

TRACK AND FIELD UCA women third, men eighth at SLC Indoor

Brooke Cassar and Erika Setzler finished first and second in the women’s 5,000 meters in record-setting fashion on Wednesday at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.

The UCA women are in third place out of 13 teams after the first day with 27 points, trailing only Stephen F. Austin (32) and Sam Houston State (29). UCA’s men have 10 points and are in eighth place out of 12 teams with one day remaining in the meet.

Cassar finished in 17 minutes, 4.84 seconds with Setzler right behind at 17:09.76. Both times shattered the old school record for 5,000 meters. Cassar then teamed with Marine Lecart, Jordan Chadwick and Khadijah Smith to finish second in the distance medley relay in a school-record time of 11:53.39.

Samantha Gibson finished eighth in the pentathlon, scoring 3,224 points. She was third in the 800 meter run (2:24.08) and third in the high jump (5 feet, 2.5 inches). Lecart qualified first in the women’s mile with a time of 4:59.90, while Kayla Nehus finished sixth in the preliminaries in 5:06.49. Tanesha Maxwell qualified fifth in the 60 meters in 7.57. Jordan Chadwick had the best time in qualifying in the women’s 800 meter at 2:14.74.

UCA’s men’s team of Grant Williams, Connor Ryan, Powell Bryant and Jonathan Burgess finished fourth in the distance medley relay in 10:10.43, also setting a school record.

Amos Gerber was sixth in the 5,000 meters in 15:02.39. Sophomore Anthony Faris-King finished seventh in the long jump with a jump of 7.13 meters. Corentin Louis qualified third in the men’s mile in a time of 4:16.06. Freshman Alex Miles stands in ninth place after the first day of the heptathlon with 2,490 points.

Sports, Pages 23 on 02/27/2014

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