CONWAY, Ark. (May 9, 2026) — The University of North Alabama baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Central Arkansas on Saturday at Bear Stadium with a game one win, 12-4, and a heart-breaking extra-innings loss in game two, 4-3.
In game one, Nash Rippen hit a home run in the first inning to create the 2-0 lead. That home run gave Rippen his 17th of the season which ties the most all-time in a single season first set by Mike Burns in 1989 and D.J. Harris in 1993.
The doubleheader was a last-minute change most likely due to weather incoming on Sunday.
North Alabama (25-25, 16-11 ASUN) scored seven runs in the sixth inning of game one to get the eventual 12-4 win to set up a rubber match for game three. The final game went to extra innings where a wild pitch helped UCA walk it off.
Central Arkansas (29-23, 16-11 ASUN) was out-hit in game one today but returned with 12 hits in the final game. The Bears deployed Silas Cowgill and top reliever Hunter Alexander to close out the game to set up the extra inning win 4-3.
After the split doubleheader, the Lions now sit tied for second place with Central Arkansas, both who are one game behind Lipscomb. Lipscomb owns the head-to-head matchup with North Alabama. Lipscomb and Central Arkansas play in Conway this upcoming weekend.
With the win in game one, North Alabama surpassed last season's win total and set a new Division I school record for wins in a season with 25. The Lions have three games remaining in the regular season and have already clinched a spot in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
Game 1 – North Alabama 12, Central Arkansas 4
Game one was all North Alabama from the start. This win not only gave the Lions the most wins in a Division I single season, but it also tied the Lions most conference wins in a single season, again, a mark set last year in 2025.
The Lions had 15 hits and a masterful outing from Tripp Patterson with his longest quality start of the year at 7.2 innings.
UNA had a seven-run sixth inning that saw a 5-3 score skyrocket to 12-3. 12 batters came through the box during that inning to balloon the lead.
All but one starter had at least one hit for the afternoon slate with five having a multi-hit game. Lead-off man, Jackson Westmoreland had three hits with an RBI alongside Will Millard who turned in a three-hit, three-run, two-RBI game one. Millard was the other Lion next to Rippen to have a home run for the game.
The team moved to 18-4 when hitting two or more home runs in a single game which brought their total to 76 on the year.
Dylan Coleman, Wes Walker and Rippen enjoyed two hit games with Rippen leading the team in RBIs with three; both Walker and Millard had two RBIs each.
Millard led the team in runs plated with three as Justin Santoyo, Rippen and Coleman crossed twice.
Patterson tied his win total from his freshman campaign with five after his 7.2 innings ad 89 total pitches. He had two strikeouts with zero walks for the contest as he allowed just four runs. The sophomore now has four seven innings pitched or more games this season with this being his second game of not allowing a walk.
Tyler Rice finished the final 1.1 innings and gave up one hit and struck out one Bear to close out the game.
Dylan Coleman got the start at first base for the first time this season as he and Petey Craska swapped positions for the day.
The Lion defense held the Bears to .257 from the plate; UCA hit over .330 in the other two games of the series.
Pitchers of Record
W – Tripp Patterson (5-4)
L – Jake Jones (4-2)
S – N/A
Game 2 – North Alabama 3, Central Arkansas 4
The final game was the definition of a rubber match between the pair of programs.
The Lions had five arms visit the mound today with Reese Young to start. On the other side, the Bears used three arms as Alexander made his second appearance out of the bullpen this weekend.
Young allowed one run through 3.1 innings while he also struck out three Bears. After he worked into a bind, Kelly Crumpton came in to deliver the final two outs of the fourth inning on eight pitches.
Luke Davenport made his second appearance out of the bullpen in as many days. The sophomore threw 3.1 innings with four strikeouts and only one earned run.
Gavin Oswald came in to close the game out in the eighth. He threw the final 1.2 innings of regular time before Sawyer Toney started on the mound in extra innings.
A wild pitch scored the base runner from third to seal the comeback win for UCA.
Westmoreland and Petey Craska were held hitless in the second game but Coleman and Rippen returned with two hit games; Millard and LePage were the lone Lions to earn a hit.
Millard was thought to be the eventual hero with his hit being his second home run of the day and the ninth of the season in the top of the ninth. The junior was down to his final strike with two outs against Cowgill, who had not allowed a base runner during his time. Millard cranked the home run to take the lead in the final frame — that marked his sixth home run of the season that helped tie the game or took the lead.
However, after Millard homered, the Bears brought the stud closer in Alexander into the ball game. He closed the final out in the ninth before he worked out of a pinch in the 10th that saw the winning run at second base.
This was only the second loss this season when the Lions held a team in between three to five runs — a proud 14-1 mark ahead of this final game.
This marked the third game that has went to extra innings this season and the second with Central Arkansas — both won by the Bears.
Pitchers of Record
W – Hunter Alexander (7-2)
L – Sawyer Toney (0-1)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama has one final midweek game at Murray State on Tuesday, May 12 at 3 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
