CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears put up eight runs in the seventh inning to blow past the Northwestern State Demons 12-1 in Southland Conference action on Thursday at Bear Stadium.

The Bears (15-10, 8-2), who won their seventh consecutive SLC game, turned 15 hits and three NSU errors into 12 runs. Junior left fielder Hunter Strong went 4 for 5 with 3 RBI and junior catcher William Hancock and junior first baseman Tyler Smith hit home runs to pace the Bears' offense.

UCA trailed 1-0 in the second inning but scored two in the bottom of the frame and were never behind again. In the second, Hancock hit his first home run of the season, a one-out solo shot to right field to tie the game. Strong added an RBI single that brought in T.J. Black, who reached on an infield single and went to second in a throwing error.

UCA added two more runs in the fifth on Smith's solo home run over the right-field fence and a manufactured run. Keaton Presley singled up the middle, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a balk by NSU starter Nathan Jones for a 4-1 lead.

In the eighth, the Bears put up eight runs on six hits and a pair of Demon errors. Presley started it with a sacrifice fly and senior third baseman Rigo Aguilar cleared the bases with a double to right field that made it 8-1. Hancock added an RBI single up the middle and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Strong's two-run base hit added the seventh and eighth runs.

UCA senior starter Tyler Gray went seven innings, striking out 10 and allowing five hits and just one run. Conner Williams threw the final two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. The pair limited NSU to just six hits, spread among six players.

Aguilar finished 2 for 5 with 3 RBI while Hancock was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Josh Somdecerff and Smith both had two hits.

Game 2 of the series is set for 6 p.m. Friday, with the finale at 1 p.m. Saturday.