HAMMOND, La. _ Rock-solid pitching from a pair of seniors and a little 12th-inning small ball carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 3-1 victory over Southeastern Louisiana Lions in their Southland Conference opener on Friday night at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

The Bears (5-9, 1-0) outlasted the Lions by scoring twice in the top of the 12th on a base hit by Kolby Johnson, a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Smith, consecutive walks to Beau Orlando and Jay Anderson and a fielder's choice and throwing error on Christian Brasher's ground ball to third.

That made it 2-1 before Josh Ragan followed by getting hit by a pitch from SLU's ace reliever Kade Granier for the 3-1 advantage. UCA senior Conner Williams, who took over in the 10th inning, got a pair of strikeouts and a ground ball out to end it in the bottom of the 12th. 

Williams and UCA starter Cody Davenport combined for a five-hitter and 15 strikeouts over 12 innings. Davenport tied his career high with nine strikeouts and went nine innings, allowing just four hits and one run and walking one and retiring 15 straight batters at one point. Williams tossed one-hit ball over the final three innings, striking out six, one short of his career high.

The Lions, picked second in the preseason SLC poll, scored its run in the third inning and the Bears, picked fourth, tied it in the seventh. UCA's run came on a one-out home run to right field by second baseman Jay Anderson, his first career long ball. It stayed that way until the 12th because of stellar pitching on both sides.

SLU starter Corey Gaconi went 9 2/3 innings, carrying a perfect game into the fifth inning, allowing four hits and one run and striking out eight. Granier relieved him and ended up allowing one hit and one earned run over 2 1/3 innings.

The Bears managed just five hits, too, with Anderson collecting two of them.

Game 2 of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, with junior lefthander Ty Callahan taking the mound for the Bears.