The Central Arkansas softball team narrowly missed a comeback in their final game at the Bearkat Classic, losing 6-4 to Sam Houston State on Sunday afternoon in Huntsville, Texas. The Bears ended the weekend with three wins and two losses, with both defeats decided by a combined total of three runs.
Central Arkansas struggled early, conceding three runs in the first inning. Emma Robertson responded in the second inning with a solo home run—her third of the weekend. This marked the first time since 2022 that a Central Arkansas player has hit home runs in three consecutive games.
Sam Houston extended its lead in the bottom of the second inning, bringing the score to 6-1. For most of the early innings, Robertson’s home run was Central Arkansas’s only hit. In the fifth inning, Gracie St. Hilaire hit a double and Grace Molitor drew a walk, prompting Sam Houston to change pitchers.
In the sixth inning, Addie Graham led off with a double to right field. Trinity Brandon followed with another double, allowing Graham to score from second base. Kaitlyn Graham then hit into the outfield as well, giving Central Arkansas additional momentum. Renee Christian entered as a pinch runner and stole second base before LJ Smith’s single brought home both Brandon and Christian, narrowing the deficit to 6-4. St. Hilaire walked to load the bases but no further runs were scored.
Central Arkansas was unable to sustain its momentum in the seventh inning and did not add any more runs.
The Bears will continue their season next weekend at Troy University’s tournament in Alabama, where they are scheduled for five games against Radford, Troy, and IU Indy starting Friday.
