THIBODAUX, La. _ University of Central Arkansas junior lefthander Dustin Ward shut down the Nicholls Colonels on Saturday as the Bears took a 10-1 victory at Didier Field.

The victory, UCA’s second consecutive over Nicholls, improved its record to 18-17 overall and 8-9 in Southland Conference play. Nicholls dropped to 16-19 and 6-11. The Bears have now won back-to-back conference series for the first time since 2008.

Ward (5-3) struck out a career high 13 in the complete-game six-hitter. The 13 strikeouts is tied for fourth all-time at UCA. Ward allowed just six singles and a lone run in the eighth inning. He threw a career-high 138 pitches in his second career complete game.

The Bears continued their offensive heroics with 13 hits, including three each from leadoff batter Ethan Harris and first baseman Jonathan Houston, who had a pair of doubles. Both players had two RBI and Harris scored twice.

UCA scored the only runs it needed in the top of the first inning against Nicholls starter Brian Arcenaux. Harris opened with a double and Jonathan Davis was hit by a pitch before Houston singled to load the bases. Bryan Willson’s sacrifice fly scored Harris and Jake Fuller added an RBI single for an early 2-0 lead.

The Bears added another run in the second on Harris’ RBI single, then got two more in the third on Noble’s RBI triple and Travis Snider’s RBI single.

In the sixth, UCA pushed the lead to 8-0 with three more runs. Harris brought in a run with a single up the middle and Houston plated the next two with a double down the right field line. The Bears got their final two runs in the ninth on Willson’s two-run double.

Davis scored three runs and Snider finished 2 for 5.

Game 3 of the series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.