CONWAY, Ark. _ The Houston Baptist Huskies scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning Saturday and held on in the bottom of the inning to down the University of Central Arkansas Bears 5-3 in Southland Conference action at Bear Stadium.

The Bears (17-12, 9-4) loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning off HBU's Marshall Herron but the junior reliever got out of the jam with a strikeout to earn his first save.

UCA starter Tyler Gray went 5 1/3 innings before being ejected for a high inside pitch by the home plate umpire, who also ejected UCA coach Allen Gum in the ensuing discussion. Gray struck out six and allowed six hits and three runs before departing, tying Bobby Pritchett for second in career strikeouts at UCA with 237. Mark Moyer came on for three innings of relief, but allowed the final two runs after a throwing error prolonged the ninth inning for the Huskies.

The Bears scored the game's first run in the fourth inning on Rigo Aguilar's RBI single to right that brought home Tyler Smith, who had led off the inning with a walk. HBU (13-17, 6-4) put up three runs in the sixth inning off just two hits, one being a three-run home run by right fielder Michael Heck.

UCA closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth on catcher William Hancock's run-scoring single to right, then tied the game at 3-3 on senior designated hitter Colby LeBlanc's RBI single to right in the seventh.

LeBlanc and junior second baseman T.J. Black were both 2 for 4 for the Bears, while Heck finished 3 for 5 for the Huskies.
The teams will finish the series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Sunday.