Game 15 recap: Central Arkansas vs. Virginia

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 5, VIRGINIA 3
 
FORT COLLINS, CO – Central Arkansas clinched a spot in the championship round of the 2022 NISC, moving past No. 1-seeded Virginia after holding off the Cavaliers’ rally in the seventh inning.
 
The Sugar Bears (37-20) will play in the 4 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday, while Virginia (29-24) takes on Kansas at 8:30 a.m. – the winner of that game also earns a berth in the semis.
 
Sarah Coon hit an 0-2 pitch for a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning for Virginia. Central Arkansas pulled into the lead on a two-run home run from Morgan Nelson in the top of the fourth. The Sugar Bears weren’t done in the frame, as Kristen Whitehouse added a two-run homer with two outs to make it 4-1.
 
Tremere Harris scored on a two-out hit from Morgan Nelson in the fifth to boost the fourth-seeded Central Arkansas lead to 5-1.
 
Kayla Beaver threw an outstanding game for the Sugar Bears, allowing five hits and three walks to go with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. She pitched eight innings on Sunday in a one-run win over Kansas.
 
Virginia’s last push was keyed by Leah Boggs, who struck a two-run single to score Lauren VanAssche and Abby Weaver, making it 5-3 with one out.
 
UCA reliever Jordan Johnson notched a strikeout, and after a Katie Goldberg single loaded the bases, Johnson got another strikeout to finish the job.