RECAP -- Stephen F. Austin vs. Central Arkansas

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 6, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 3

CONWAY, AR – Cylla Hill came up as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh inning, and her grand slam propelled Central Arkansas into the lead and then past Stephen F. Austin on Thursday in an elimination game of their NISC regional.

Central Arkansas will play in another elimination game later Thursday. Sugar Bears pitcher Maddy Prough hit the first batter she faced in the bottom of the seventh but got a double play and then struck out Taylor Fraccastoro to close out the win. Prough had thrown only 30 innings this season before coming in during the fourth inning and eventually securing the win.

Ladyjacks pitchers Autumn Anderson and Callee Guffey had suppressed Central Arkansas, but reliever Makayla Sikes walked the first three batters of the seventh; that prompted the Ladyjacks to go back to Guffey. A sacrifice fly by Libby Morris drew UCA to within 3-2, and Hill (who entered the game hitting .168) came through with a long drive to left field.

Margarita Corona hit a run-scoring single in the third for the Ladyjacks, and Amber Landry’s two-run double pushed SFA (31-24) to a 3-0 lead after four innings. The Sugar Bears (28-26) got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, with Ryan McTaggart driving in pinch-runner Oakley Sizemore.