CONWAY, Ark. _ The McNeese State Cowboys scored three runs in the top of the 11th inning on Friday night to down the University of Central Arkansas Bears 6-3 in the Southland Conference opener for both teams at Bear Stadium.

    The Bears (6-9, 0-1) had overcome a 3-0 deficit after one inning by scoring two in the third and eventually tying the game in the sixth on Eddy Sanchez' RBI single up the middle that scored Hunter Strong. 

    The bullpens dominated from there, with MSU's Grant Anderson throwing three scoreless innings and UCA's Tyler Gray also allowing no runs through three innings until the 11th. A pair of walks, two hits and an errors, coupled with Jacob Stracner's two-run single to center gave the Cowboys the victory.

    UCA got a runner on base in the bottom of the 11th against MSU's Trey Fontenot on a hit by pitch but he recorded the final two outs for his second save.

    Strong accounted for UCA's two runs in the third with a two-run double down the left-field line, scoring Keaton Presley and Michael Haun. Shortstop Brooks Balisterri had two hits for the Bears, while Joe Provezano and Stracner had two each for the Cowboys.

    Game 2 of the series has been moved up to 11 a.m.  Saturday to avoid possible inclement weather later in the day.