NEW ORLEANS, La. _ Solid pitching from both their starter and bullpen and a timely hit from senior Michael Haun carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 4-2 victory over the New Orleans Privateers in Southland Conference action on Friday night at Maestri Field.
Haun, pinch hitting with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th, hit a liner just over the glove of the UNO shortstop that scored both Tyler Smith and Justin McCarty for a 4-2 lead. Sophomore Mark Moyer came on in the bottom of the inning and set the Privateers down in order for his second save of the season.
UCA improved to 13-9 overall and 5-2 in SLC play, winning its fourth straight league game.
Prior to the late heroics, the pitching duel between the top two strikeout pitchers in the league lived up to its billing. UCA senior Tyler Gray struck out nine in 8 1/3 innings, walking just one and allowing two earned runs. UNO starter Bryan Warzek fanned 10 but a high pitch count knocked him out after just seven innings.
UCA's bullpen was up to the task in relief of Gray as senior Will Brand and sophomore Ross Rogers combined to get the final two outs of the ninth inning on a combined three pitchers. Moyer then took over after UCA grabbed its first lead of the night and got a line out, a strikeout and a pop up down the right-field line to end it.
UCA fell behind 1-0 in the first but tied the game on junior Hunter Strong's solo home run to left field in the top of the third inning. Strong added a double in the seventh inning and finished with a season-high four hits on the night.
UNO (9-13, 2-5) went back in front in the bottom of that frame but UCA loaded the bases in the fifth and Smith's sacrifice fly scored T.J. Black to tie it at 2-2. It stayed that way until the 10th when McCarty sandwiched a base hit between walks to Smith and Rigo Aguilar. With two outs, Haun came off the bench and laced a two-run single to left.
The Bears won despite striking out 16 times and getting out-hit 10-9. McCarty finished 2 for 4 as the only other UCA player with multiple hits. UNO's Owen Magee and Cody Ducote had three hits apiece for the Privateers. Rogers (1-2) picked up the win for UCA throwing just one pitch in the ninth, while William Griffin (0-2) took the loss for UNO.
Game 2 of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.
