HAMMOND, La. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears continued their road struggles Thursday night, losing 5-4 to Southeastern Louisiana in Southland Conference play at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

UCA (11-15, 5-8) dropped to 0-7 in Southland Conference road games this season.

The Bears rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the eighth inning when sophomore Jonathan Davis hit a one-out triple and scored on an error on SLU shortstop Ben Hernandez. Ethan Harris then came in on Bryan Willson’s RBI single down the right-field line to get UCA within one.

That brought on SLU’s closer Stefan Lopez, one of the top relievers in the nation. He struck out the side to tie the school record with his 12th save and the 22nd of his career. Lopez has not allowed an earned run this season.

UCA took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on three consecutive base hits by Willson, Travis Snider and Garrett Brown, a fielder’s choice by Logan Moon and a ground out by Kraig Kelley.

The Lions (22-9, 8-5)  went in front with single runs in the second, third and fourth innings, then made it 5-2 with two more runs in the seventh.

After UCA reliever Bryce Biggerstaff stranded two runners in the bottom of the eighth, Lopez struck out Brown and pinch hitters Griffin Glaude and Garrett Vail to end it.

Willson and Snider both finished 2 for 4 for the Bears, who managed only seven hits off SLU starter Andro Cutura (3-1), Dylan Hills and Lopez. UCA starter Jeffery Enloe (2-4) took the loss,  allowing 4 hits, 5 runs and walking 6 in 6.1 innings.

      Game 2 of the series will be played at 6 p,m, Friday.