06 Mar 2024 Bears put scare into No. 2 Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Central Arkansas Bears put a ninth-inning scare into the second-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday before falling 9-7 at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Bears (7-7) fought back from a 7-2 deficit after three innings and had the bases loaded in the ninth inning, down three runs. UCA plated one run on a bases-loaded walk to Bryce Cermenelli but could not grab the lead. 

“As a competitor, you hate to lose,” said UCA head coach Nick Harlan. “Disappointed we gave up that one big inning. But as a whole, I thought we were ready to play, and our approach was really good. I was really pleased (with the comeback). That’s what these guys do.

“There’s no panic, and they’re not going to play the scoreboard. They’re just going to try to play the game the right way on every pitch. I was really proud of that effort.”

The Bear jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings. Three consecutive singles in the second by Drew Sturgeon, Preston Curtis and Bryce Cermenelli put UCA up 1-0 in the second. In the third, back-to-back hit batters in A.J. Mendolia and Zeb Allen, followed by an RBI base hit up the middle by Jagger Schattle, pushed the lead to 2-0.

The Razorbacks took advantage of an error and two walks, followed by a grand slam by Wehiwa Aloy, put the Bears behind in the bottom of the third. Two more walks and another home run, this one by first baseman Ben McLaughlin, made it 7-2.

“I thought seven out of the eight innings we pitched really well,” said Harlan. “I thought it was unfortunate that we gave up some free bases and they were able to get off some good swings and get into some good counts to create that big inning.

“But outside of that, I thought (Bentonville native) Bryce (Parlin) did a great job coming home and handling the magnitude of that moment. Pitching well, aggressive in the zone. And I thought Gavin (Alveti), outside of the first couple of hitters, threw really well, kept the ball down and got a lot of ground balls.

“And then we needed Hunter (Alexander) to come in and give us a strikeout and he did, but the ball just trickled away a little bit.”

The Bears answered in a big way in the top of the fifth. Schattle, Sturgeon, Preston Curtis and Cermenelli had consecutive RBIs to close the deficit to 7-6. A.J. Mendolia led off with a walk before Zeb Allen lined out to left field. Catch Casey Shipley, from nearby Farmington, was hit in the face by a pitch to put two runners on.

Schattle then singled in Mendolia, and Sturgeon followed with an RBI double to center. Curtis had a sacrifice fly to bring in Schattle and Cermenelli’s base hit brought in Sturgeon with the fourth run. 

UCA reliever Gavin Alveti induced a double play to end Arkansas’ fifth, then got the Razorbacks in order in the sixth. 

“Offensively, I was very pleased,” said Harlan. “Very disciplined at-bats, we didn’t chase outside of the zone. We created opportunities in multiple innings. We had a couple of timely hits. And we were one big hit away from taking the lead in the ninth inning.’

Arkansas got two more runs in the eighth on three hits to go up 9-6. But the Bears went to work against Arkansas right hander Gabe Gaeckle. Hayden Seldomridge, who replaced Shipley behind the plate, had his first hit of the season, a single up the middle, to start the rally. Schattle followed that with another before a second out.

Left fielder Kade Seldomridge drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Cermenelli walked for his third RBI of the day but Gaeckle got a strikeout to end it.

Schattle, a junior designated hitter from Richardson, Texas, finished 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Ceremenelli was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, while Sturgeon was 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. UCA out-hit Arkansas 9-7.

The Bears return home for a non-conference series with Missouri State beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at Bear Stadium.