FLORENCE, Ala. (April 28, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team attempted a comeback in Florence, but dropped the series finale 6-3 to Central Arkansas on Sunday. North Alabama starting pitcher Anthony Pingeton tallied seven strikeouts, his best mark of the season. 
 
The Lions fall to 14-27 on the season, while the Bears Improve to 20-22. UNA falls to 6-15 in ASUN Conference play as UCA moves to 10-11. 
 
After UCA jumped out in front early with a 4-0 lead, North Alabama stormed back, cutting the Bear lead to 4-3 following a Bryant Loving home run in the sixth. Following a two-run Central Arkansas homer in the sixth, the Lions failed to push across another run. 
 
After two quick outs in the top of the first inning, Central Arkansas rallied for five consecutive hits to push across four runs.
 
After a two-out RBI single from UCA, Pingeton retired eight straight batters and pitched 5.0 consecutive scoreless innings. The junior tacked on a season-high seven strikeouts, topping his previous high of five. 
 
North Alabama responded in the third inning after loading the bases from a Leighton Jenkins double and a pair of walks. Levi Jensen walked to bring home a runner before Andrew Knight put a fly ball just deep enough to score Andin Johnson from third. 
 
The Lions and Bears each tossed a pair of scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth before Loving launched his second home run of the season over the left field fence in the sixth. The freshman's solo shot cut the UCA lead to 4-3 with three innings to go. 
 
Dane Sykes entered in relief to pitch the seventh inning and picked up a pair of strikeouts. Sykes finished the game for UNA, tallying six strikeouts across 3.0 innings. 
 
Following a leadoff single and a strikeout, UCA catcher Casey Shipley launched a two-run homer to center field, extending the Central Arkansas lead to 6-3. UNA looked to answer as Kyle Machado sent a two-out single back up the middle, but a strikeout ended the eighth with the score the same. 
 
Pingeton and Sykes combined for 13 strikeouts, the most by UNA in a game since April 5, when the Lions struck out 14 at Jacksonville. 
 
Despite the loss, Gehrig Frei extended his reached base streak to 15 games with a third inning walk. 
 
Pitchers of Record
W - Coleman MacRae (4-3)
L – Anthony Pingeton (2-3)
S – Hunter Alexander (7)
 
COMING UP NEXT
  
UNA travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for a midweek with MTSU on Tuesday, April 30 before returning to Mike D. Lane Field to take on Samford on Wednesday, May 1. 
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.