State sports briefs

BASKETBALL UCA promotes Long to associate head coach

University of Central Arkansas women’s Coach Sandra Rushing promoted Greg Long from assistant coach to associate head coach Tuesday.

Long, who was an assistant for Rushing at Delta State in 2010- 2012, was hired at UCA in 2015. He has helped the Sugar Bears compile a 54- 9 record the past two seasons with two Southland Conference Tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.

In four seasons together, Rushing and Long’s teams at UCA and Delta State are a combined 104- 20. Delta State played in the NCAA Division II tournament in 2011 and 2012 with Rushing and Long on the bench.

GOLF UALR, ASU in mix at Sun Belt tournament The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas State University women’s golf teams are in fourth and sixth place, respectively, after two rounds of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Tuesday at Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Troy leads the tournament with a 587, followed by Georgia State ( 589) and Texas State ( 590).

UALR shot a second- round 305 and is at 596, 9 strokes behind Troy. ASU is at 606 after shooting a 313 on Tuesday.

Individually, UALR’s Shania Berger is third. She shot a second- round 73 and is 1- under par 143. Teammate Emelie Blennow is 4- over 148 and is tied for 10th with three other golfers. Sabrina Bonanno shot a 3- over 75 and is tied for 17th at 6- over 150.

For ASU, Beth Ann Compton and Maci Brooks are tied for 14th ( 5- over 149). UALR’s Berger named to All- Sun Belt team University of Arkansas at Little Rock junior golfer Shania Berger was named to the All- Sun Belt Conference first team for the second consecutive year.

Berger has four top- 10 finishes in 2016- 2017, including two fourth- place finishes at the Lady Red Wolf Classic and Rio Verde Invitational. She recorded a 5- under par 67 — a stroke shy of the program record — in the final round of the Rio Verde Invitational in February.

Also, Arkansas State University sophomore Beth Ann Compton was named to the second team. Compton has placed tenth or better in five tournaments in 2016- 2017, including a tie for seventh place at the MVC Preview.

BASEBALL Guest leads Harding to victory Grant Guest went 5 for 5 with 2 runs scored to lead Harding University to a come- from- behind 7- 6 victory in 10 innings over Ouachita Baptist University on Tuesday in a nonconference game at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia.

Harding ( 17- 24) trailed 6- 5 entering the ninth inning, but with runners at the corners and two outs, Jesse Cox hit an infield single to score Zach Beasley and tied the game at 6- 6. Ben Brauss was hit by a pitch to lead off the 10th inning for the Bisons. He went to second on Guest’s fifth single of the game and scored on Luke Van Dover’s second double.

OBU tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the 10th. Jakahari Howell hit a one- out triple, but Harding reliever Mason Faulkner ( 3- 4) struck out Ty Owens and got Justin Weigle to ground out to end the game.

Chris Taylor had three RBI for the Bisons on a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a two- run single in the seventh. Hunter McDade ( 0- 2) took the loss for the Tigers, who lost to Harding for the fourth time this season.

SOFTBALL UCA loses on the road The University of Central Arkansas ( 17- 30) rallied from a 4- 0 deficit against Oklahoma State University ( 29- 16) on Tuesday, but Alex Edinger’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Cowgirls a 5- 4 victory in Stillwater, Okla.

Oklahoma State got RBI singles from Vanessa Shippy and Kristin Reasnor to take a 2- 0 lead. The Cowgirls built a 4- 0 lead before the Bears rallied in the fifth inning. Kailla Searcy and Hannah Stirton drew one- out walks, then scored on Briana Whisenhunt’s three- run home run on a 1- 1 pitch to left field to cut the lead to 4- 3. Kaylyn Shepherd followed with a walk and moved to third on Cylla Hill’s single. She scored on Bailey Reynolds’ fielder’s choice to tie the game at 4- 4.

Shepherd was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and 1 run scored, while Whisenhunt was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, 1 run scored and 1 stolen base. Kayla Gomness ( 11- 15) took the loss for the Bears, allowing 5 runs on 12 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.