LAKE CHARLES, La. _ Senior Caleb McClanahan tossed a four-hit gem Friday night to lead the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 5-1 victory over the McNeese State Cowboys in Southland Conference play at Cowboy Diamond.

McClanahan, a right hander from Wynne, allowed no earned runs and dropped his league-leading earned-run average to 1.57 with his fourth complete game of the season. He struck out five and walked one, and finished off the Cowboys with a four-pitch ninth inning.

The Bears (30-10, 9-7) scored all the runs they would need in the third inning as senior catcher Michael Marietta led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Garrett Brown. Consecutive RBI doubles by Justin Treece and Forrestt Allday made it 2-0 off McNeese starter Blake Ware (5-4).

UCA made it 4-0 in the fifth, taking advantage of one of the Cowboys’ three errors and an RBI single by Blake Marchal. McNeese State got its lone run in the bottom of the fifth as UCA returned the favor with two of its three errors.

After that, McClanahan held the Cowboys hitless over the final four innings, throwing 104 pitches with 75 strikes to win his third consecutive start.

UCA picked up its final run in the seventh when Allday walked, moved to second on Jonathan Davis’ sacrifice bunt and scored on Ethan Harris’ RBI single.

The Bears finished with 11 hits, with Harris going 2 for 5, Allday going 2 for 4 and Marchal finishing 2 for 5. First baseman Chayse Marion had two of MSU’s four hits.

Game 2 of the series is set for 3 p.m. Saturday.