COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Central Arkansas tops Bellarmine
The University of Central Arkansas completed a weekend sweep of Bellarmine with relative ease in a 6-1 victory Sunday at Farris Field in Conway.
UCA (22-15, 7-5 ASUN) got a three-run home run from Tylar Vernon in the bottom of the second and Jaylee Engelkes extended the Bears' lead to 5-0 with a straightaway two-run homer in the third.
Jordan Johnson kept Bellarmine (10-29, 1-11) shut out until the sixth, surrendering 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 10 in the complete-game outing.
MEN'S GOLF
Arkansas second at Aggie Invitational
High winds combined with a difficult course led to higher scores than normal, but the 10th ranked University of Arkansas men's team tied for the low round of the day and placed second (31-over 895) at the Aggie Invitational at Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas.
The best individual round Sunday was 1 over by five players, including Razorbacks Julian Perico and Wil Gibson.
The Razorbacks, who led the 12-team field with 168 pars over three rounds, also had the best team score in the second round to move from sixth to second. On Sunday, Arkansas and Texas Tech each carded a 16-over-par 304 to remain in second and third place, respectively. Host Texas A&M won with a 54-hole score of 887 (23 over) after shooting a 17-over round Sunday. Houston and New Mexico tied for fourth with a total of 911.
Perico climbed 19 spots with his 73 to finish tied for 15th (227) for his third top 20 finish of the season. The senior opened the day with back-to-back birdies and finished with three total birdies Sunday, tying for the second-best total. Gibson, who had 14 pars, three bogeys and two birdies, shot a final-round 73 to move up 19 spots into a tie for 19th (228).
Segundo Oliva Pinto was the Razorbacks' top finisher with a tie for 10th (225).
ATU tied for lead at GAC Championships
Arkansas Tech University, the two-time defending Great American Conference men's golf champions and No. 2 team in the country, finished the opening round of the GAC Championships tied atop the leaderboard with Southwestern Oklahoma State as the Wonder Boys and Bulldogs carded matching 7-over-par team scores on Sunday on the Arlington Course at Hot Springs Country Club.
Arkansas Tech's Santiago De La Fuente posted the lone under-par round of the day with a 1-under 71. He made five birdies in his round, tied for the most in the round.
Henry Frizzell and Francois Jacobs, the GAC Player of the Year, each finished inside the top 10. Frizzell made eagle on the 18th hole to post an even-par round and shares second place. Jacobs played his opening 11 holes at 3 under but played the final seven in 5 over to end the day in a tie for ninth.
Gregor Weck paced three Bulldogs to post top-10 rounds as he shot an even-par round. He played the back nine in 2 under. Anders Strand and Lukas Hendricks each recorded three birdies and shot matching 1-over 73s.
Nick Shapiro of Henderson State joined Frizzell and Weck in a three-way tie for second. He equalled De La Fuente with five birdies. Alex Hadden also ended his day inside the top 10. His 2-over round included three birdies. Southeastern Oklahoma State sits in fourth place, one shot ahead of Harding. Trevor Mellott finished with the low round of the day for the Bisons with a 3-over 75.
Henderson State is in third place, two shots behind the Wonder Boys and Bulldogs. The University of Arkansas at Monticello, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene rounded out the team scoring.
WOMEN'S GOLF
HSU tops opening day at GAC Championships
Henderson State University is in the lead with a 294 after Sunday's opening round of the GAC Championships at Hot Springs Country Club.
Arkansas Tech University is second with a 310 followed by Southwestern Oklahoma State at 312. Harding University and the University of Arkansas at Monticello are fourth and fifth, and Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Arkansas University are tied for sixth. Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene round out the field.
Jacqueline Klemm of Arkansas Tech tops the leaderboard at 3-under 69. A trio of Henderson State University players (Daphney Tilton, 1-over 73; Gracen Blount, even-par 72, and Hannah Choi, 2-over 74) are in the next three spots.
Mackenzy Turner of Southern Arkansas, Rebecca Lau of Southwestern Oklahoma State and Allie Bianchi of Henderson State are tied for fifth at 3-over 75.
Drew Dodgion of Southwestern Oklahoma State and Karen Lee of Henderson State shared the eighth spot at 5-over 77.
Four players shot a 6-over 78 to tie for 10th place: Arkansas-Monticello's Gabriela Maldonado and Harding University's Abbey Bryan, Alicia Martinez and Brenda Sanchez.
-- Democrat-Gazette press services