CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears scored 16 consecutive runs Sunday to sweep a doubleheader and win an important Southland Conference series from Stephen F. Austin at Bear Stadium.

The Bears rallied from a 6-0 deficit and scored the final seven runs to win the opener 7-6 on a walk-off base hit by freshman Connor Flagg in the seventh inning. The Bears dominated the second game behind a career day from freshman right hander Tyler Cleveland in a 9-0 complete-game shutout.

The Bears won the series 3-1, including a pair of walk-off victories. UCA won 10-9 in 10 innings on Friday.

Sunday's first win gave UCA head coach Allen Gum his 300th victory at the school and his 526th career victory as a collegiate head coach. Gum, the winningest coach in UCA history, has now won 301 games at UCA and had 226 at his alma mater Southern Arkansas.
 

The Bears (14-21, 9-15) fell behind 6-0 after six innings before scoring three in the sixth and four in the decisive seventh. In the sixth, senior Coby Potvin reached on an error and A.J. Mendolia followed with a single to right field. Junior designated hitter Taylor Daniell then sent a three-run home run over the left field fence to cut the deficit in half.

SFA brought in closer Tod Gauthe in the seventh and he promptly allowed back-to-back base hits to Potvin and Mendolia. After a pair of outs, the Bears went to work with consecutive walks to Hunter Hicks and Drew Sturgeon to get the first run. Chandler Poell replaced Gauthe and was greeted by R.J. Pearson's two-run single up the middle that tied it at 6-6. Flagg then worked a 1-2 count before hitting the game-winner to center field that scored Pearson from third.

UCA totaled 11 hits, led by Mendolia and Daniell with three each. Daniell had three RBI and Pearson added two. Junior right hander Tyler Navarro pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Gauthe took his second loss of the weekend for SFA.

Cleveland, UCA's closer entering the weekend, made the most of his first start of his career in his 16th appearance of the season. Cleveland allowed just three singles and struck out a career-high 12 while walking one.

The Bears scored all the runs they would need in the second inning, putting up two on Pearson's two-run single to right field. They added four more for good measure in the third with Hicks doubling in a pair and Mendolia and Drew Sturgeon adding the other RBI.

UCA scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and eight innings to put the game away. Hicks, a sophomore second baseman from Sheridan, Ark., finished 2 for 3 with 3 RBI, while Pearson was 1 for 2 with 3 RBI. Daniell went 2 for 5 and Kolby Johnson scored three times for the Bears, who beat SFA for the 13th time in the last 16 meetings.

Cleveland, who has a team-high six saves, recorded his final two strikeouts in the top of the ninth inning, the most by a UCA pitcher this season. 

The Bears will close out their nine-game homestand by hosting Northwestern State next weekend at Bear Stadium.