Final Stats

CONWAY, Ark. - Walks, wild pitches and an error allowed Central Arkansas turn a 4-0 deficit into a 8-4 win over the Lamar baseball team on Saturday in contest one of a three-game series at Bear Stadium in Southland Conference action.

Games two and three are slated to be doubleheader that will start at 11 o'clock Sunday morning. Chase Angelle (1-2, 4.76 earned run average) is scheduled to be Lamar's (7-9, 0-4 Southland Conference) starter in the first game, and freshman Eric Foshee (1-2, 4.41) in the series finale.

Central Arkansas improved to 9-3 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in Southland Conference play.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the third inning, but Central Arkansas answered with two runs in the bottom of the third and tied it in the fifth. The Bears took the lead in the sixth inning and added insurance runs with three in the eight.

Kevin Santana, who reached on an infield fielding error to start the second inning, scored when Tyler Sullivan rolled into a double play with Cardinals on first and third. With the bases empty, Brendan Satran drew a two-out, full-count walk and Joe Arechiga pushed him across with a double to left field. Arechiga scored one batter later on a single to left field off the bat of Justin Eckols.

In the third inning, Jake Nash scored LU's final run from third base on a ground ball to shortstop by Kyle Markum. Nash reached on fielder's choice and advanced to third on Santana's double to right center.

When the Cards need a shutdown inning the most, UCA was able to battle back to cut the lead in half. Cardinal starter Danny Fernandez (2-2) walked Wesley Hoover to lead off the inning, and then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Hoover to move up. Three batters later, Chris Townsend singled through the right side and scored Hoover.

Townsend scored in the next at-bat when Nate Ferrell tripled to right field.

Again, a leadoff walk and wild pitch haunt the Cardinals, the second time to Tyler Langley. After Townsend drew a one-out walk, an error aided the Bears in tying it up. Travis Hull singled through the left side to score Langley, but an error by Santana allowed Townsend to score.

UCA took the lead in the sixth on back-to-back wild pitches that let Hoover score after his double down the right field line. Fernandez was pulled after two outs in the in the sixth. He gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits and six walks.

Will Hibbs relieved him and pitched two inning, but ran into a jam in the eighth and gave up three runs. He allowed one hit and two walks. Ryan Cawthon allowed on hit before he recorded the Bears' final out.

The eighth inning started off with two four-pitch walks to Joey Pinney and Matt Anderson that opened the frame, Nick Rougeau pinch ran for Pinney. Both advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single to right field form Langley, who scored the game's final run on a single up the middle from Braxton Phillips.

UCA starter Connor Gilmore worked 6.1 innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks. He and Derek Beier, who worked a scoreless 2.2 innings, combined for three strikeouts.

Both Markum and Eckols were 2-of-4 on the day, both with runs batted in. Eckols record a double. Santana and Reed Seeley were 1-for-4, and Arechiga was 1-of-3 with a run scored and knocked in.

Seven Bears recorded a hit in the contest, but none had two or more. Langley finished the day a hit, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.

The game opened a nine-game road swing for the Cardinals, which continues with a non-conference midweek series at Nicholls before a Southland Conference Series at New Orleans.