CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears won their fifth consecutive Southland Conference game Friday, opening their series with an 8-4 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Chapman Field.

    Sophomore first baseman unter Strong supplied much of the offense for the Bears ( 23-19, 11-8), going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, a double and a two-run home run, his third of the season. Junior starter Tyler Gray (4-4) went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 8 hits, 4 runs and striking out 8. Senior Brandon Hagerla got the final out of the eighth inning, after A&M-CC had scored three runs, then got a double play and strikeout to end it in the ninth for his first save.

    The Bears grabbed an early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning on a base hit and two Islander errors. It stayed that way until the fifth when UCA added two more runs on a base hit by Eddy Sanchez and consecutive doubles by Michael Haun and Keaton Presley.  

    The Islanders (14-28, 6-13) got one run back in the bottom of the fifth before the Bears added three more in the seventh. Strong's home run chased A&M-CC starter Dustin Lacaza, who got the loss to fall to 2-2. The Islanders, who have now lost 9 of their past 10 games, made it interesting in the eighth inning before Hagerla closed it out.

    The Bears scored two more runs for good measure in the top of the ninth with an RBI double by Strong and an RBI single by designated hitter Justin McCarty. 

    Presley finished 1 for 2 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored from his leadoff spot. The Islanders had 10 hits, with three players finishing with two each.

    Game 2, with sophomore Cody Davenport on the mound for the Bears, is set for 4 p.m. Saturday.