Bentley sparks, caps UALR comeback
UALR 9, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 8
Leadoff hitter Cameron Bentley cleaned up for UALR against Central Arkansas on Tuesday night, bringing the Trojans back from a four-run deficit before finishing off the Bears.
Bentley’s three-run home run capped a five-run sixth inning for UALR, and then his 10th-inning single scored Kaleb Jobe to give UALR a 98 victory at Dickey-stephens Park in North Little Rock.
UALR (24-24), which completed its nonconference schedule, used the five-run sixth and relief efforts from Austin Pfeiffer and three others to get back in the game after the Trojans fell behind 7-3 in the fourth.
“We were down, but our coach got us together and said, ‘Chip away,’ ” Bentley said. “That’s what we did. ... We just made adjustment and we capitalized.”
Bentley’s final hit came after Jobe walked to lead off the 10th and moved to second on Bryson Thionnet’s bunt and John Clark struck out.
It completed a comeback that didn’t look like it would be necessary with the way UALR opened the game.
UALR grabbed a 3-1 lead behind Sean Bignall’s firsinning home run off UCA starter Bryce Biggerstaff. The home run landed on a roof that covers a batting cage beyond center field for his 18th home run, which ties him for the NCAA lead.
But Blake Roberts hit a three-run home run to right field in the third, and UCA scored four runs off UALR starter Ethan Schlechte in the fourth, only one coming from a hit out of the infield.
With UALR trailing 7-3, Blake Johnson drew a oneout walk, Myles Parma singled to left and Jobe drove in Johnson with a single. Then, Thionnet walked and Clark hit a sacrifice fly before Bentley’s three-run home run, his fifth of the season, cleared the bullpen in right field to make it 8-7.
“We just got back to our approach and quit trying to go up there and hit a sixrun homer so quick,” UALR Coach Scott Norwood said. “Hitting is contagious, that’s what happened. We got it going and we got a big hit to win it at the end.”
Norwood also was quick to credit a bullpen that held UCA (20-24) to one run after the fourth inning.
Pfeiffer relieved Schlechte with no outs and the bases loaded in the fourth. He gave up an RBI single to Bryan Willson and walked Roberts to drive in another run, but ended the inning with two strikeouts. He then retired the next six batters and didn’t exit until the start of the eighth, with UALR leading 8-7.
Pfeiffer gave up 1 hit and struck out 4 in 4 innings while UALR erased its deficit.
“When his back is healthy, he’s really good,” Norwood said. “Today, he was really special. Our whole bullpen has been for the last two weeks.”
Andrew Hohn gave up an RBI double to Roberts, who finished 2 for 4 with 5 RBI, in the eighth, and UCA got runners on first and second with no outs in the 10th, but Cameron Allen (2-1) struck out Harris, got Willson to fly out and forced Roberts to ground out.
“It was very disappointing, there’s no question about that,” said UCA Coach Allen Gum, whose team had six hits over the final four innings but scored only once. “Just the little things, not getting a bunt down here, not getting a bunt down there. The little things that drive coaches crazy.”