CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas _ The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders got a walk-off single by Enrique Sanchez to down the University of Central Arkansas Bears 5-4 in their Southland Conference series opener on Friday night at Chapman Field.

The Islanders (17-11, 6-4) got a pair of base hits, a walk and a stolen base in the ninth inning against UCA reliever Gavin Stone (1-2). UCA (12-14, 6-4), had taken a 4-3 lead with a four-run seventh inning but Corpus Christi tied it in the eighth. The Bears, who have won three consecutive series to open league play, threatened in the top of the ninth, getting runners to second and third before consecutive strikeouts ended the inning. 

The Islanders scored their first three runs in the fifth inning with four hits against UCA starter Cody Davenport, who went six innings to become just the second pitcher in UCA history to top 300 career innings. Nathaniel Sagdahl threw out a baserunner for the third out to end that inning.

In the seventh, the Bears batted around and took a 4-3 lead, knocking A&M-CC starter Dustin Lacaze out of the game.  Josh Ragan had an RBI single up the middle, Marco Navarro followed with another to right field and Tyler Smith drew a bases-loaded walk to tie it at 3-3. An infield single by Kolby Johnson scored Marco Navarro with the go-ahead run.

Ragan, Smith and Johnson had two hits apiece for the Bears, who left 13 runners on base and struck out eight times against three Islanders pitchers. 

The Bears and Islanders will play a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday to conclude the series with rain expected on Sunday.