CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears clinched their eighth consecutive berth in the Southland Conference Tournament on Saturday night with an 11-3 victory over the Abilene Christian Wildcats at Bear Stadium.

Behind a 12-strikeout effort from freshman left hander Noah Cameron, the Bears (26-23) won their seventh SLC series out of nine with one remaining next weekend at Lamar. The Bears, 16-10 in league play, will host Senior Day and Mother's Day activities prior to Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.

Cameron, a freshman from St. Joseph, Mo., finished one short of his career high for strikeouts and improved to 6-1 on the season. He tossed 8 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while walking just one. ACU (23-25, 10-16), on the other hand, used seven pitchers, with starter Drew Hanson (4-3) taking the loss, allowing three earned runs in just one-third of an inning. 

UCA took advantage of 10 walks and five hit batters. Junior left fielder Cole Fiori was hit three times, including twice with the bases loaded. The Bears turned 12 hits into 11 runs, with junior third baseman Beau Orlando recording UCA's first four-hit game of the season, going 4 for 4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Junior catcher Nathaniel Sagdahl went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and a run scored as all nine starters scored at least once and six Bears had at least one RBI.

The Bears scored three times in the first inning and never looked back. Josh Ragan started it with a one-out single to left center and came all the around to score on Tyler Smith's base hit up the middle into a wet center field. Orlando followed with an RBI double and Fiori brought in the third run with his first hit by pitch by reliever Logan Patterson.

Orlando had another RBI double in the second inning for a 4-0 UCA lead. The Wildcats scored three times in the third but got no more against Cameron. Reliever Conner Williams got the final two outs of the game with a pair of fly balls.

A six-run fourth inning put the game out of reach. The Bears sent 10 batters to the plate, with Sagdahl picking up a pair of RBI with a single up the middle. Fiori had another RBI after getting hit by ACU reliever Bryant Jordan, while Christian Brasher had an RBI single to left center, Jay Anderson pushed across another run with a base hit through the left side and eventually scored on a throwing error by ACU's third baseman.

Fiori was responsible for the final run in the seventh with a fielder's choice that scored Smith.

ACU was held to seven hits and committed the game's only error. 

UCA closes its home schedule with the final game for six seniors on Sunday, including Smith, Anderson, pitchers Cody Davenport, Tanner Wiley and Taylor Anders and outfielder Brett D'Amico.