CONWAY, Ark. _ The Northwestern State Demons got a three-run home run in the eighth inning that carried them past the University of Central Arkansas Bears 6-4 on Saturday in the Southland Conference series finale at Bear Stadium.

UCA (17-11, 9-3) had its eight-game SLC winning streak snapped. NSU is now 14-13 and 4-5. 

The Bears turned a triple play _ the first in school history _ to get out of a ninth-inning jam. Senior third baseman Rigo Aguilar fielded a ground ball at the bag, threw to junior T.J. Black at second, who relayed over to Tyler Smith at first for the third out. UCA then got one run back in the bottom of the ninth on senior Josh Somdecerff's fifth home run of the season, a solo line drive over the left-field wall.

But NSU's Jose Vasquez, after allowing a bunt base hit to Keaton Presley, closed out his 3 1/3 innings of relief with a fly ball out to end the game. 

The Demons, who lost the first two games of the series, scored twice in the first inning a pair of hits off UCA starter Cody Davenport. The Bears answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame on Colby LeBlanc's RBI single and Keaton Presley's RBI double. It stayed that way until the sixth when UCA went up 3-2 on Michael Haun's RBI single that scored LeBlanc, who had doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Somdecerff, LeBlanc and Presley all had two hits for the Bears, who finished with 11. The Demons had 11 hits off four UCA pitchers, including two each from David Fry, J.P. Lagreco and Kwan Atkins.

Senior Will Brand took the loss, facing a single batter in the eighth inning. Vasquez (4-0) got the win for NSU.

UCA plays at Little Rock at 6 p.m. Tuesday and then hosts Houston Baptist in SLC play on the weekend. The series begins at 6 p.m. Friday.