Feb 20th, 2007 05:36PM
by:

By STEVE EAST
UCA SID

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Bears pounded 14 hits and hit three home runs in downing the Arkansas State Indians 14-5 in baseball action on Tuesday at UCA Field.

The Bears (2-3) got home runs from seniors Matt Warren and Jonathan Ashworth and another from junior Grant Gatlin. UCA had a five-run fourth inning and added four more runs in the seventh. ASU used five pitchers and they combined to hit eight UCA batters.

“This was a nice confidence builder, we had a nice approach today," said UCA Coach Doug Clark. “We swung the bats well, we got runners on base, got hit batters and had some rallies. That’s nice to see.

“It was nice to see Ashworth get that big hit. And Gatlin is doing a nice job for us. He got three RBIs. And Warren in the three hole getting on base and hitting the home run. We got some big hits, some timely hits."
       
UCA ace Matt Whitaker made his first start of the season against his old team and threw four innings, striking out three. He worked out of a first-inning jam, allowing only one run after loading the bases.

 “To get out of that first inning with just one run was a great, great job," Clark said. “He has nice stuff and he’s a competitor. He was in trouble, and he doesn’t want to be in that position, but he knew how to get out of it. He made some really big pitches."

The Bears tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on a double play ball that scored Gatlin, who had started the inning with a single. UCA pushed the lead to 3-1 in the third Chris Davis hit a sacrifice fly to score Kevin Rawls. Chris Houk followed with an RBI single up the middle.

The Indians closed to within 3-2 with a double steal in the fourth inning, with Guy Brown coming in from third.

UCA exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning, starting with Ashworth’s home run to left to open the inning against ASU reliever Jack McGrath. An infield single by Davis scored Rawls and Gatlin’s sacrifice fly to center sent Warren home. Davis eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Bears a 8-2 lead.

The Bears added two runs in the sixth inning as ASU’s pitching staff suddenly could not find the plate. Reliever Nick Lambert hit four batters including Warren and Davis back to back, then Cline and Ashworth in order.

With two outs in the seventh, Warren sent an 0-1 pitch over the right-center wall for his second home run of the year. Davis reached on an error before Gatlin launched his home run to right-center for a 11-3 lead. Houk was hit by a pitch and Tye Throneberry sent a triple to right field to score Houk.

A-State scored twice in the ninth before UCA’s Josh Charette got the final out himself on a line drive back to the mound.

Gatlin and Houk both had three hits for the Bears, while Davis and Warren were both 1 for 3 and scored three times apiece. Gatlin had three RBI, while Davis and Ashworth had two each.

For ASU, Brandon Eller and Tyler Doke had two hits apiece.

UCA hosts Saint Louis University in a three-game series this weekend.