CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears could not get the timely hits like the previous day on Saturday and dropped an 11-2 decision to Missouri State at Bear Stadium. 

The rubber game in the season-opening series is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.

The visiting Bears had 12 hits, including a home run and three doubles, and had two four-run innings to even the series. UCA had eight hits but could manage just two runs, leaving nine runners on base.

MSU scored all the runs they would need in the third inning, plating three on four hits and a UCA error. They added four more in the fourth before UCA got on the board in the sixth with an RBI single by third baseman A.J. Mendolia that scored Connor Flagg. 

MSU got four more in the eighth and the home Bears added their final run in the bottom of the ninth when Hunter Hicks and Cade White were both hit by MSU reliever Eric Loomis, with Hicks scoring on freshman pinch hitter Reid Bowman's first career hit in his first career at-bat, a double to center field.

UCA starter Logan Gilbertson took the loss, allowing three runs with three strikeouts in three innings of work. Junior reliever Andrew Shoultz pitched 4.0 innings of quality middle relief, striking out six of the 14 batters he faced. Spencer Nelson and Jack Haley also had scoreless innings, with Nelson getting a pair of strikeouts in th eighth inning.

Junior catcher Noah Argenta went and senior shortstop R.J. Pearson both went 2 for 3 for the Bears.