McClanahan, Bears Dominate Islanders
By: Jason Snavely
Updated: March 24, 2012
The University of Central
Arkansas Bears rode the arm of junior right hander Caleb McClanahan and
the bats of seniors Travis Snider and Bryan Willson to a 9-3 victory
over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders on Saturday afternoon at
Bear Stadium.
McClanahan (2-1) struck out 11 batters. walked none and allowed just six hits in a complete-game victory. Snider, a senior catcher from Alvin, Texas, went 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI. Willson, a senior first baseman from Camarillo, Calif., had two hits, including his first home run of the season, two RBI and scored twice.
The Bears (9-10, 4-4), a day after losing 13-2 in the series opener, did nearly everything right Saturday. UCA had 11 hits and stole five bases in five attempts, including two by sophomore Jonathan Davis, against a combination of five A&M-CC pitchers.
UCA left two on base in the first inning without scoring, but then got single runs in the second and third innings. Blake Marchal executed a squeeze bunt with two outs that scored Davis for the game's first run.
In the third, Snider had the first of his three doubles, a two-run shot in the left-center gap that scored Forrestt Allday for a 2-0 lead.
The Islanders (11-13, 4-4) got their only runs of the day in the fifth inning on a Jonathan Gonzelez lead-off home run, a UCA error and an RBI ground out by Santiago Ruiz.
That lead was short-lived as the Bears struck for two more in the bottom of the inning. Willson and Snider had consecutive RBI doubles for a 4-3 advantage.
In the seventh, Willson blasted his first home run over the left-field fence, the fifth of his career. UCA added four more in the eighth as Davis and Allday both had two-run singles.
McClanahan got his first complete game of the season, even though he pitched 10 innings and got a no decision in UCA's 12-inning win over Lamar back on March 9. Islander starter Tim Keller (0-4) took the loss, allowing four earned runs in 4.1 innings.
The series finale is set for noon Sunday.
McClanahan (2-1) struck out 11 batters. walked none and allowed just six hits in a complete-game victory. Snider, a senior catcher from Alvin, Texas, went 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI. Willson, a senior first baseman from Camarillo, Calif., had two hits, including his first home run of the season, two RBI and scored twice.
The Bears (9-10, 4-4), a day after losing 13-2 in the series opener, did nearly everything right Saturday. UCA had 11 hits and stole five bases in five attempts, including two by sophomore Jonathan Davis, against a combination of five A&M-CC pitchers.
UCA left two on base in the first inning without scoring, but then got single runs in the second and third innings. Blake Marchal executed a squeeze bunt with two outs that scored Davis for the game's first run.
In the third, Snider had the first of his three doubles, a two-run shot in the left-center gap that scored Forrestt Allday for a 2-0 lead.
The Islanders (11-13, 4-4) got their only runs of the day in the fifth inning on a Jonathan Gonzelez lead-off home run, a UCA error and an RBI ground out by Santiago Ruiz.
That lead was short-lived as the Bears struck for two more in the bottom of the inning. Willson and Snider had consecutive RBI doubles for a 4-3 advantage.
In the seventh, Willson blasted his first home run over the left-field fence, the fifth of his career. UCA added four more in the eighth as Davis and Allday both had two-run singles.
McClanahan got his first complete game of the season, even though he pitched 10 innings and got a no decision in UCA's 12-inning win over Lamar back on March 9. Islander starter Tim Keller (0-4) took the loss, allowing four earned runs in 4.1 innings.
The series finale is set for noon Sunday.
