CONWAY, Ark. – Kendall Talley and Shelby Henderson had three hits apiece for Lamar University, but the Cardinals allowed three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh as they dropped a 7-6 decision to the host Central Arkansas Bears in a Southland Conference softball game on a blustery Sunday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals (24-21 overall, 9-9 Southland), who made just two errors over the first 20 innings of the weekend, made two costly miscues in the bottom of the seventh, the final one coming on a dropped two-out pop fly that allowed two runs to score to end the game. LU won the first game of the series, taking the opener of Saturday's afternoon doubleheader, but the Bears (22-19, 11-7) won the final two contests to capture the series.
 
LU trailed 4-1 after five innings, but rallied to make it 4-3 in the sixth on two-run throwing error. The Cardinals tacked on three more in the top of the seventh, with Henderson's double the big hit of the inning.
 
LU reliever Amie Cisneros retired the first two Central Arkansas batters in the bottom of the seventh before being lifted after a disputed infield single and a walk put runners on first and second. Laura Napoli, who started the game for LU, re-entered the contest. Napoli uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners to second and third before UCA cut the lead to 6-5 on a fielding error. A walk loaded the bases before inducing Kaylyn Shepherd to pop up on the infield, only to see two runs score as the ball bounced off a glove and on to the artificial turf of Farris Field.
 
"It's a tough loss," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "We just can't make two errors with two outs in the bottom of the seventh."
 
It was the second straight game that saw the Cardinals collect 11 hits, only to be on the short end of the decision. Savana Guidry had two hits for LU, which had four extra-base hits on the afternoon. Henderson had a double and a triple, while Talley and Kelly Meeuwsen each had a two-bagger for LU.
 
Napoli (12-11) was charged with the loss. She pitched a combined 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs, three earned. Taylor Gruell pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing two hits and no runs. Cisneros, who was in line for the win, allowed one hit and two runs, both unearned, in 1 1/3 innings.
 
Rachel Haberman (6-2), the fourth UCA pitcher of the day, was credited with the win after retiring the only two batters she faced to end the top of the seventh. Lauren Brooks had three hits, including a two-run home run, as she had three RBIs on the day for the Bears.
 
With the loss, the Cardinals dropped into a tie for eighth place with Sam Houston State with nine conference games remaining. The top eight teams qualify for next month's Southland Conference Tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
 
"We have our work cut out for us," Bruder said. "We have some tough teams coming up. We have to find a way to win some of these games."
 
ON DECK: The Cardinals host defending regular-season and tournament champion McNeese in a three-game weekend series. The teams play a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Friday and a single game at 3 p.m. Saturday.
 
TICKETS: For tickets to all LU home games, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. The Montagne Center ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The ticket window at the LU Softball Complex will open one hour prior to first pitch on game days. LU students receive free admission to home games with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Cardinal Club members are admitted for free when they present their membership badge.