CONWAY, Ark. _ It took 11 innings before the Little Rock Trojans secured a 6-5 victory over the University of Central Arkansas Bears on Tuesday in Round 1 of the "Rock N Roar Rivalry" at Bear Stadium.

The  Trojans (2-2) got a leadoff single in the 11th inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single by center fielder Marcus Ragan to score their first run since the second inning. Righthander Nick Perez, who played the first nine innings in the designated hitter role, pitched the final two innings, striking out two Bears in the bottom of the 11th for the win.

UCA (1-3) dug itself a 5-0 hole after 1 1/2 innings as the Trojans scored three in the first and two more in the second off Bears' sophomore Kaleb Schmidt. But the Bears answered in the bottom of the second inning, with Rigo Aguilar and William Hancock drawing consecutive walks, and Aguilar scoring on Josh Somdecerff's RBI single up the middle.

Junior first baseman Hunter Strong added a three-run double to center field in the inning to close the gap to 5-4. UCA tied the game in the third on the Bears' first home run of the season, a solo blast from Hancock, who went 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. 

Neither team could scratch out a run over the next seven innings, with both bullpens putting up scoreless inning after scoreless inning. UCA senior Will Brand came on one batter into the seventh inning and was in control until the 11th. Brand allowed just three hits and struck out five in five innings of relief.

Strong, from Sheridan, went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, while Somdecerff, a senior third baseman from Tulsa was 2 for 4 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. UCA left 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the third inning. Perez, Kale Emshoff and Matt Merino all had three hits for the Trojans as they tallied 14.

UCA and Little Rock will meet twice more, on April 3 at Little Rock's Gary Hogan Field and May 15 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

The Bears host Missouri State this weekend, with game times of 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.