CONWAY, Ark. _ Another pitching gem on the mound from senior Cody Davenport and three-run home run from junior Josh Ragan carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 6-1, 4-1 sweep of league-leader Sam Houston State on Friday at Bear Stadium.

The Bears (19-20, 10-7) won their fifth Southland Conference series in six tries. The Bearkats (22-14, 14-6), who entered the weekend hitting .308 overall and .326 in conference play, were held to just two runs on 13 hits in the doubleheader.

Davenport, a senior right hander from Fayetteville, tossed a complete-game, four-hitter in the opener, allowing just one run, walking one and striking out nine, tying his season and career high. Davenport (3-2) dropped his earned-run average to 1.49 for the season. The Bears fell behind 1-0 on a solo home run by SHSU's Jordan Cannon in the fifth inning but UCA did not allow another run.

The Bears tied it in the sixth without a hit. Jay Anderson reached on an error by SHSU's center fielder that also allowed him to advance to second base. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third and Tyler Smith's sacrifice fly scored him to tie it at 1-1. UCA took the lead for good in the seventh when Marco Navarro walked, went to second on a bunt, to third on a wild pitch and came in on Joshmar Doran's groundout. 

The Bears put the game away with a four-run eighth inning. Navarro picked up a pair of RBI with a double down the left-field line, Doran got another when he drew a bases-loaded walk and Brett D'Amico did the same, good for a 6-1 lead. Davenport worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth and struck out Cannon looking for the final out. SHSU ace Hayden Wesneski was handed his first loss of the season, dropping to 6-1. 

In the nightcap, Ragan broke open a 1-1 game with a three-run bomb to left field in the seventh inning, scoring Christian Brasher and Joshmar Doran. The home run was Ragan's team-high fourth of the year. Freshman lefthander Noah Cameron went 6.2 innings, striking out six and allowing just one run but did not get a decision. Sophomore Gavin Stone (3-2) pitched the final 2.1 innings and held the Bearkats scoreless. He also closed out the game with a strikeout.

Junior catcher Beau Orlando went 2 for 4 as UCA made the most of just five hits. Reliever Cody Wolf (2-1) took the loss, allowing Ragan's home run in the seventh inning. 

The Bears, who used just three pitchers in the doubleheader, will try for their first series sweep of the season at 1 p.m. Saturday.