CONWAY, Ark. _ Texas State took advantage of erratic pitching by the University of Central Arkansas staff on Friday night and took an 8-3 victory in Southland Conference play at Bear Stadium.

Five UCA pitchers combined to walk eight batters and hit five more. UCA (14-17, 4-9) also committed two errors against the league-leading Bobcats (20-9, 11-2).

Texas State jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the second inning on Tyler Sibley’s two-run double, but the Bears answered in the bottom of the inning. Greg Noble had an RBI single to left center and Ethan Harris’ ground out scored Noble to tie it at 2-2.

The Bobcats scored the next two runs, one each in the third and fourth innings, before the Bears got on the board again. With one out in the fourth, senior second baseman Zack Dickson hit his first home run of the year and third of his career to draw the Bears within 4-3.

Texas State ace righthander Carson Smith (5-1), who struggled somewhat early, found his groove after that, retiring 12 consecutive batters, including four straight strikeouts. He held the Bears scoreless the rest of the way for the complete-game victory, striking out six and allowing three earned runs.

The Bobcats added two more runs in the sixth inning, then got single runs in the eighth and ninth. UCA starter Andy Steinmetz (1-1), making his first conference start, went three innings, allowing three earned runs and walking four. Dickson was the only Bear with multiple hits, going 2 for 4. Sibley and Kyle Kubitza were both 2 for 4 with two RBI for Texas State, while Jeff McVaney was 2 for 3 with a solo home run.

Game 2 of the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday.