CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears have played two Southland Conference series and have swept them both after beating the Lamar Cardinals 4-2 and 8-0 on Saturday at Bear Stadium.

    The Bears have now won 12 consecutive regular-season conference games with four straight series sweeps in league play dating back to last season.

    UCA (11-3, 6-0), which swept Stephen F. Austin last weekend, pounded out 22 hits on Saturday and got solid starting pitching performances from junior Brandon Hagerla in Game 1 and sophomore Riley Echols in the nightcap. Hagerla (3-0) went 8.1 innings for the victory and junior Bo Stitch came in with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and struck out Stijn van der Meer to end the game.

    Echols (2-0) threw seven shutout innings, striking out five and and allowing seven hits. Junior Andrew Kemmerer finished off that game, allowing 1 hit over the final two innings.

    The Bears fell behind 1-0 in the opener but responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good. First baseman Matt Anderson had a two-run double and Nate Ferrell had an RBI single for UCA. The Bears pushed their lead to 4-1 in the seventh when Wesley Hoover tripled to right field and scored on Braxton Phillips' single to left.

    The Cardinals (7-11, 0-6) got one run in the top of the ninth before Stitch closed it out. Anderson finished 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, while Hoover  and Travis Hull both had a pair of hits.

    The Bears jumped all over Lamar pitching early in the second game, scoring six runs in the second inning and two more in the third. Shortstop Logan Preston hit his fourth home run of the young season, tying last year's season leader, and Ferrell had a two-run double down the left-field line. Catcher Travis Hull added the final blow with a two-run single to right field. 

    In the third, Chris Townsend's single to center field scored both Tyler Langley and Hoover for an 8-0 lead.

    Lamar used seven pitchers, with starter Eric Foshee taking the loss after allowing six earned runs. Ferrell finished 2 for 5 with 2 RBI, while Anderson was 2 for 4. Townsend, Hull and Preston all had two RBI as UCA took advantage of seven walks. 

    UCA travels to Stillwater, Okla., to take on No. 23 Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Tuesday.