CONWAY, Ark. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team finished their delayed series against Central Arkansas on Monday afternoon, falling 4-12 in game one but bouncing back for a 5-2 win in game two to secure the series.

The Colonels (28-10, 9-2 ASUN) remain atop the Gold Division by 1.5 games ahead of Austin Peay and also sit second overall behind North Florida at 12-0.

GAME ONE - EKU 4, UCA 12 (5 inn.)

Victoria Byrum (9-2) started the game off in the circle for the Colonels, pitching 3.1 innings and totaling six strikeouts. Tayteum Vigansky and Brooke Davis made relief appearances, pitching 0.1 innings each.

The Colonels jumped out to an early lead in the second inning, posting two runs before the Bears responded with one of their own. Makayla Mathis picked up her third-straight game with an RBI, tallying two with a single past the UCA shortstop. The hit made it two consecutive ASUN series where the sophomore has recorded at least one RBI in each game. 

Two more runs were tacked on in the third inning to make the lead 4-1. A muffed throw by the Bears second baseman allowed Kennedy Drafton to safely reach base on a sacrifice bunt that scored Reese Knox from second. Jada McLeod followed up with an RBI double to right center field, breaking her nine-game RBI drought.

The Bears offense loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning and took advantage of Colonel miscues to put up eleven runs, putting the game into run rule territory at 4-12.

The Colonels could not score the required run in the fifth to keep the game going, falling 4-12 in five innings.

GAME TWO - EKU 5, UCA 2

The Colonels reset and reloaded quickly for the rubber match of the series. Lauren Narvaez made the start for EKU, pitching a solid 3.2 innings and recording two strikeouts before Maddi Rutan (13-6) made her second appearance of the weekend in the circle for the final 3.1 innings.

Rutan was credited with the win despite the Colonels never trailing as Narvaez came just short of the required 4.0 innings pitched for starters to be awarded the win.

The offense was clicking early for the Colonels, posting the opening run of the game in the first inning. Three consecutive base hits were capped off by an RBI double by Rutan to left center. With the hit, Rutan has now stretched her on-base streak to 33 games - the longest active streak in the country.

The Bears responded with a run of their own once again in the bottom of the frame. Two scoreless innings followed before the Colonels posted two more runs in the top of the fourth.

Jordan Smith picked up her third RBI of the season with a single to center field before Mathis followed up with a sacrifice fly for her fourth RBI of the weekend. UCA recorded another one-run inning in the bottom half to make the score 3-2.

Both teams pitched two more scoreless innings before the Colonels tacked on an additional two insurance runs in the seventh to stretch the lead to three. With a runner on first, Drafton blasted her seventh home run of the season, going yard to right center for a 5-2 Colonel advantage.

The Colonel defense shut down any hint of a UCA comeback in the bottom of the seventh, downing three of four batters to secure the win and the series.

UP NEXT

The Colonels finish out their eight-game road stint with an ASUN series against Lipscomb in Nashville, TN. The series opens with a doubleheader on Apr. 12 at 2 PM and 4:30 PM ET while the series finale is set for Apr. 13 at 2 PM ET.