ABILENE, Texas _  The University of Central Arkansas Bears scored three times in the eighth inning to finally secure a come-from-behind 9-8 victory over the Abilene Christian Wildcats in Southland Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Crutcher Scott Field.

UCA (27-18, 15-8), in third place in the SLC standings, takes the series, with the finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Bears, who won 10-3 in the opener on Friday, got 15 hits, including three each from junior left fielder Hunter Strong and junior catcher William Hancock, along with three RBI from junior first baseman Tyler Smith.

The Wildcats (19-25, 5-18) answered every run the Bears put up until the three-run eighth. After UCA went up 9-7 in the top of the eighth, ACU did get one run back in the bottom of the inning. But UCA junior right hander Conner Williams, who went the final 2 1/3 innings, set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth to earn his first career victory.

In the eighth, Keaton Presley led off with a walk and went to second on Coby Potvin's sacrifice. Strong then doubled to right for the first run and Smith followed with a two-run home run, his fifth of the season. Smith finished 2 for 2, with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.

The Bears also had a three-run third, with runs coming in on Smith's sacrifice fly, Rigo Aguilar's RBI ground out and T.J. Black's run-scoring single. Strong went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, while Hancock was 3 for 5 with an RBI. Black was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run scored and Presley went 2 for 5.

ACU put up 14 hits and scored four runs in the second inning to take an early 4-1 lead. Reliever Brennan Lewis (3-2) took the loss with 2 1/3 innings of relief work. 

The Bears won their second road SLC series of the season _ and fifth overall _ with one remaining at Nicholls State on Feb. 17-19.