Box Score CONWAY, Ark. ? Central Arkansas (1-2) rode a big six-run sixth inning to a 9-4 win over the UALR baseball team (2-1) Sunday afternoon at UCA Field to deny the Trojans a sweep in the three-game series. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, UCA used a two-run single by Grant Gatlin and a three-run homer from Bobby Pritchett to go ahead 6-2.
UALR took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth thanks to RBI doubles from freshman Brad Swiderski and junior Nick DeSanctis. The Bears answered with six runs in the bottom of the sixth, thanks in part to a UALR fielding error on a potential double-play ball with one out on the board. After UCA's Chris Davis opened the frame with a leadoff single, junior Levi Laughlin (0-1) got Tye Throneberry to fly out to right for the first out.
Laughlin then got a ground ball from Kevin Rawls, but the Trojan defense was unable to make the play, allowing Rawls to reach on the fielding error. Payton Seelinger singled to load the bases, then Gatlin came on to pinch hit and ripped a bases-loaded, two-run single off junior Mike Rogers to tie the game at 2-all. Pritchett followed in the next at-bat with a three-run bomb to left to put the Bears on top 5-2. Scott Cline finished off the six-run rally by scoring from third off a wild pitch.
The Trojans cut their deficit to two runs, 6-4, in the top of the seventh by pushing across a pair of runs. Sophomore Daniel Guffey (hit by pitch) and senior Ryan Gotcher (walk) both reached base to start the rally, with Guffey coming around to score on a two-out base knock by senior Brian Smiley. Gotcher made it a 6-4 ballgame when he scored from third on a throwing error by UCA third baseman Derrick Corso.
Corso atoned for his miscue in the bottom of the eighth with a three-run triple to right center to make it a 9-4 contest. UCA's Josh Charette entered the game in the eighth with the Bears leading 6-4 and picked up his first save by holding UALR hitless over the final 2.0 innings.
James Parsons (1-1) got the win for UCA with 2.0 innings of relief work. Jonathan Ashworth got the start for UCA and went 5.0 innings with six hits, two runs, a walk and four strikeouts.
Freshman Ashur Tolliver go the nod for UALR and worked 3.0 innings with three hits, a walk and three strikeouts before giving way to the Trojan bullpen. UALR used seven pitchers in the game, with the group combining for 11 strikeouts against just three walks.
DeSanctis, Smiley and Swiderski led the Trojans with two hits a piece, while Davis paced the Bears with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Corso and Pritchett drove in three runs a piece for the Bears.
UALR returns to action next week when it welcomes Northern Iowa to Gary Hogan Field for a four-game series. The first game of the series will take place Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.
