CONWAY, Arkansas – Northwestern State couldn't independently clinch a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament on Friday as the Lady Demons fell twice to Central Arkansas.

UCA scored early and often in a 9-2 win before mounting a late comeback in 5-3 win to take the series.

But because Lamar (11-15 SLC) dropped two to Nicholls, NSU locked up a spot in the tournament. The Lady Demons will finish as either the No. 6 or the No. 7 seed.

NSU (26-23, 13-13 SLC) will play the series finale Saturday at 1 p.m., which will be broadcast on the Demon Sports Network with Patrick Netherton on the call.

UCA (28-23, 16-10 SLC) is likely locked into the No. 5 slot.

UCA 5, NSU 3

UCA scored four runs in the sixth inning to erase a one-run NSU lead and take the series in the second game.

Trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning, UCA collected three of its four hits to go with four walks and two errors. NSU totaled three errors.

Morgan Felts drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run, and three runs scored on a Kate Myers single and an error for the 5-2 edge.

Junior pitcher Mikayla Brown issued 11 free passes – nine walks and two hit-by-pitches – and four hits.

Two of UCA's five runs were unearned via two errors.

Brown (9-8) worked around trouble most of the day with 10 stranded runners, but the Bears pieced together its large inning in the win.

After NSU scored a run in the first inning, UCA answered with a run in the second inning.

The Bears loaded the bases with two hit-by-pitches and an error before Felts scored a run on a sacrifice fly.

NSU started the scoring with a Codi Vernace RBI single to score Julie Rawls, who reached on a walk.

That combination worked again in the sixth inning when Vernace doubled in Rawls, who walked. Vernace went 2-for-2 with two RBIs while Rawls went 1-for-2.

Trailing 5-2, NSU attempted to make a comeback in the seventh inning.

After a Kayla Roquemore single, Sidney Harris (2-for-4) doubled in a run to cut the lead to 5-3.

Rawls slid to beat a throw on a single to put runners on the corners with two outs, but UCA's Haberman (10-3) secured the win in relief with a ground out.

Haberman allowed a run on three hits in 1 2-3 innings. UCA starter Ellie Reaves allowed two runs on six hits and three walks in 5 1-3 innings.

The NSU offense pieced together nine hits but stranded seven.

UCA 9, NSU 2

UCA scored runs in five of their six at-bats as the Bears stormed to a first-game win.

NSU starter Micaela Bouvier lasted 2 1-3 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks.

The Bears scored six runs in the first three innings en route to the victory.

UCA collected 11 hits with Morgan Felts and Libby Morris getting three hits each.

NSU got on the board early with a pair of manufactured runs in the first inning.

Sidney Harris beat out a bunt single in between Cayla Jones and Julie Rawls walks to load the bases.

NSU scored its runs on RBI groundouts by Kaitlyn St. Clair and Codi Vernace.

UCA starting pitcher Kailla Searcy got on track after that, giving up just a Toni Hebert single from the second through the fifth inning.

Searcy (6-6) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in the win.

Home runs by Libby Morris and Kate Myers anchored a two-run first inning and three-run third inning.

NSU reliever E.C. Delafield escaped danger in the third inning after UCA scored three runs, but the Bears scored three runs (two earned0 on four hits in 3 2-3
innings.