HAMMOND, La. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears took their opening Southland Conference series with a 3-2 victory over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

The Lions came back to salvage the final game 3-2 in 11 innings later Saturday. The Bears won Friday's series opener 3-1.

The Bears (6-10, 2-1), got seven strong innings on the mound from freshman Noah Cameron and two solid innings of relief help from sophomore Gavin Stone to win the opener. The pair limited the Lions to just three hits and combined for nine strikeouts. 

UCA scored twice in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by junior third baseman Christian Brasher that scored Josh Ragan, who got on base with a double down the left-field line. The Bears made it 3-0 in the sixth with Jay Anderson's sacrifice fly that brough in Tyler Smith, who also doubled into the left-field corner.

The Lions (6-10, 1-2) got two runs back in the seventh on consecutive solo home runs but Cameron (1-0) got out of the inning with his seventh strikeout. Stone then allowed no hits and struck out two over the final two innings for the save. Beau Orlando and Ragan had two hits apiece for the Bears.

In the nightcap, both teams scored a run in the first inning (RBI double by Anderson for the Bears) and UCA went ahead 2-1 in the sixth on Ragan's RBI single up the middle. SLU tied it in the seventh and it stayed that way until the Lions put across the game winner in the bottom of the 11th on a base hit, two walks and an RBI single. That came after UCA left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th.

The Bears host the Little Rock Trojans at 6 p.m. Tuesday and return to SLC play next week, hosting Nicholls State at Bear Stadium.