CONWAY, Ark. — The University of Central Arkansas Bears earned their third consecutive Southland Conference series victory on Sunday, beating league-leader Stephen F. Austin 9-3 for the second straight day to win the series 2-1 at Bear Stadium.
The Bears (11-13, 6-3) used a five-run fourth inning to break open a 3-2 game. UCA scored five runs on four hits, including a two-run double by center fielder Josh Ragan. Junior designated hitter Marco Navarro had a two-run home run in the third inning to give the Bears the lead for good. Navarro finished the day 3 for 5 with 4 RBI as UCA strung together 10 hits for the second straight day against one of the top pitching staffs in the SLC. Ragan went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.
Christian Brasher went 2 for 4 with a run scored and Tyler Smith was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored for the Bears, who also have series wins over Southeastern Louisiana on the road and Nicholls State at home. UCA heads to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this weekend.
The Bears scored first in the bottom of the first, with the aid of an SFA throwing error and Navarro's RBI single that brought in Ragan. After the Lumberjacks (13-12, 7-2) scored two unearned runs in the top of the third, Navarro followed with his second home run of the season, good for the 3-2 lead.
Smith opened the fourth inning with a base hit that ended the day for SFA starter Jacob Stobart, who entered the game with a 3-0 record. Kolby Johnson walked and Christian Brasher had a bunt single to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in Smith. Anderson then ended a 10-pitch at-bat with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Johnson. Ragan then doubled to the right-center gap to make it 7-2 before Navarro added an RBI single to right.
Smith scored the final run in the fifth after reaching on a hit by pitch, moving to third on Brasher's single up the middle and coming in on Nathaniel Sagdahl's bunt.
Junior lefthander Brad Verel (1-2) got the victory in a bullpen day for the Bears, going 3 innings and allowing 2 hits and no earned runs. Gavin Stone went 3 innings, striking out 4 and allowing 1 hit, with Tanner Wiley picking up the three-inning save, allowing 1 hit and striking out 3. UCA's pitching staff finished the weekend with a 0.33 earned run average, allowing just 1 earned run over 27 innings.
UCA hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bear Stadium.