UCA SPORTS INFORMTION

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas The University of Central Arkansas baseball team hit three home runs and pounded out 17 hits en route to a 9-8 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Chapman Field on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Bears tie up the series and improve to 24-25 overall and 11-15 in Southland Conference play. The Islanders fall to 22-28 and 14-12.

UCA got a strong relief outing from junior Matt Humphrey (3-2). The Maumelle native struck out four and allowed three hits and two walks in 4 2/3 shutout innings. Islander closer Brett Gibson (3-2) suffered the loss and blew the save in the eighth inning, allowing three hits, two runs and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.

The Bears struck first in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly from senior right fielder Chris Houk and a RBI-single by sophomore designated hitter Eric Tennyson. TAMUCC cut the lead to 2-1 in the second when right fielder Chase Wheaton drove in catcher Stephen Flora with a base hit.

Wheaton and Trey Hernandez both hit sacrifice flies in the bottom of the third to go up 3-2. UCA regained the lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer by junior third baseman Jonathan Yerby and a RBI-single from junior second baseman Josh Huffman. Yerby added a solo shot in the fifth to give the Bears a 6-3 lead.

UCA's Kevin Rawls hit a double and was driven in by Yerby in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 8-7. Huffman hit the game-winning two-run homer over the right field fence off of Gibson in the top of the eighth.

Huffman finished the game 4 for 6 with three runs batted in. Yerby was 3 for 5 with four RBI and sophomore shortstop Graham Martin was 3 for 5. For the Islanders, Flora went 4 for 5, and Wheaton was 2 for 4 with four RBI.

The Bears and Islanders will complete the series at noon today.

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