CONWAY, Ark. _ Freshman Kolby Johnson laced a walk-off base hit through the left side of the infield in the ninth inning Saturday night to score Josh Ragan and give the University of Central Arkansas Bears a 4-3 victory over the Nicholls Colonels in their Southland Conference series opener at Bear Stadium.

The late heroics came about after a stellar relief appearance by UCA's Gavin Stone. The sophomore from Jonesboro struck out a career-high eight batters over the final three innings _ in relief of starter Cody Davenport _ and allowed just one hit and no runs to earn the victory. Stone struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth innings, working around a base hit in the final frame.

In the ninth, Josh Ragan got a one-out walk and stole second base. Nathaniel Sagdahl was intentionally walked and Christian Brasher was hit by a pitch to load the3 bases against Nicholls reliever, Brandon Andrews, the Colonel's fifth pitcher of the night. Johnson, a freshman outfielder from Pearland, Texas, worked a 3-0 count before taking a strike. He then slapped a ground ball past a diving Nicholls third baseman for the game winner.

The Bears (7-11), who improved to 3-1 in conference play, trailed 3-0 after the top of the third but chipped away with a single run in the bottom of the third on Cole Fiori's RBI single that scored Jay Anderson, one more in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk by Brasher and the tying run in the sixth on another walk to Ragan with the bases loaded.

UCA drew 11 walks and had just six hits against the five Nicholls' pitchers. Davenport and Stone combined to strike out 13 Colonels and walk just one. All three runs were unearned for the Colonels (10-9, 2-2).

Fiori and Ragan had two hits each for the Bears.

Game 2 of the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday.