CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears got stellar pitching from Conner Williams and Tyler Cleveland in the second game of Friday's doubleheader to beat Northwestern State 3-1 and earn a split on the opening day of their Southland Conference series at Bear Stadium. NSU won the opener 8-4.

Williams, a senior right hander from Conway, pitched two scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts to earn the victory before turning it over to Cleveland, a freshman from Sheridan. Cleveland, the reigning SLC Pitcher of the Week, allowed just one hit and struck out eight Demons over the final four innings to earn his seventh save.

The Bears made the most of four hits and took advantage of four NSU errors, their fourth such game of the season. The Bears broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run fifth inning, topped off by a straight steal of home. Connor Flagg reached on an error and advanced to to third on another error with two outs. Coby Potvin drew a walk and Flagg scored on A.J. Mendolia's single to right.

Taylor Daniell drew another walk, and with NSU starter Cal Carver electing to pitch from a full windup, Potvin broke for home and slid in with the third run as the pitch got away from the NSU catcher, allowing both runners to advance as well.

From there, Cleveland did the rest, striking out at least one batter in every inning, including fanning the side in the eighth inning.

Potvin finished 2 for 3 and Mendolia had a pair of runs batted in for the Bears.

In Game 1, the Demons came back from a 3-2 deficit with a five-run fourth inning and reliever Drayton Brown kept the Bears off the board over the fnal three innings. NSU starter Johnathan Harmon allowed 8 hits and 4 earned runs but still got the victory to improve to 4-2. Brown earned his third save of the year.

The Bears got a single run in the second inning off Drew Sturgeon's RBI groundout. They added three more in the third, with Daniell getting an RBI single to left field. Kolby Johnson followed with a two-run double to left center to give UCA a 4-2 lead.

In the fourth, the Demons scored five runs on four hits first baseman Peyton Davis' second home run of the game, a three-run shot to left field. David fnished 3 for 5 with 5 RBI. Coby Pitvoin led the Bears at the plate, going 3 for 4, while Johnson was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI. 

The teams will play another doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m.