CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas _ Sophomore right hander Connor Gilmore tossed a complete game and the University of Central Arkansas Bears evened their Southland Conference series with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a 4-2 victory Saturday at Chapman Field.

Gilmore, from Little Rock Catholic, allowed eight hits and struck out five and worked out of jams in both the seventh and eighth innings to improve to 1-0.  The Islanders (7-13, 1-1) left the bases loaded in the seventh and two runners on in the eighth. Gilmore then coaxed three fly balls in the ninth to end it.

UCA (9-7, 1-1) took a first-inning lead for the second consecutive day when Tyler Langley led off with a double, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Chris Townsend's RBI single up the middle. Townsend finished the day 3 for 5. Nate Ferrell was hit by a pitch and Wesley Hoover walked before Brandon Montalvo was hit by another pitch with the bases full to make it 2-0.

The Islanders tied it in the third with the only two runs Gilmore allowed on the day. It stayed that way until the Bears put up two more runs off three different A&M-CC pitchers in the eighth. Ferrell was hit by a pitch to start the inning and was replaced by pinch runner Nick Rougeau.

Justin Treece's sacrifice bunt moved Rougeau to second and Brandon Montalvo's single to left field scored Rougeau with the eventual game-winning run. Pinch hitter Scott Zimmerle added another base hit, sending Montalvo to second before Brad Dillenberger scored him with another hit to left center, good for a 4-2 UCA lead.

Dillenberger, a junior third baseman, went 2 for 4 with an RBI as the Bears finished with nine hits. Jordan Lee and Dawson Yates had two hits apiece for the Islanders.

The victory was the 100th at UCA for Bears head coach Allen Gum in his fourth season at the school.

Game 3 of the series is set for 11 a.m. Sunday.