Feb 12th, 2007 05:43AM
by:

By STEVE EAST
UCA SID

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Bears put up six runs in the sixth inning to down the UALR Trojans 9-4 and take the final game of the series on Sunday at UCA Field.

Freshman Bobby Pritchett, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound second baseman, blasted a long, three-run home run to left field in the sixth for the big blow.

Pinch-hitter Grant Gatlin added a two-run single up the middle and Scott Cline scored on a wild pitch to complete the six-run inning.

UALR (2-1) had gone ahead 2-0 in the fifth when the Trojans finally got to UCA starter Jonathan Ashworth. Brad Swiderski doubled down the left field line to score to score Brian Asbill, who led off with a single. Nick DeSanctis then singled to left-center to score Kyle Rehnstrom, who had walked.

The Bears (1-2), who left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first and left six runners on base through five innings, finally got on the board in a big way in the sixth against UALR reliever Levi Laughlin, who took the loss.
       
The Trojans closed the gap to 6-4 with a pair of runs in the seventh when Smiley had an RBI single to right-center and Ryan Gotcher scored on a throwing error that would have been the third out.

UCA padded its lead with three runs in the eighth off three different pitchers when junior transfer Derrick Corso lined a bases-loaded triple to the gap in right-center to score Kevin Rawls, Chris Davis and Matt Warren.
       
James Parsons, a freshman right-hander, got the victory with two innings of relief work. Senior Josh Charette came on in the eighth and got the final six outs for his first save.

Davis was 3 for 4 for the Bears, while Pritchett went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI. DeSanctis, Smiley and Swiderski all had two hits for UALR.

UCA travels to Clarksville, Tenn., this weekend to take on Cincinnati and Austin Peay.