CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears rode the right arm of Tyler Cleveland and the big bat of Hunter Hicks to a 12-1 blowout of the Bellarmine Knights in ASUN action on Friday night at Bear Stadium.

Cleveland (4-2), a sophomore from East End, Ark., struck out 10 in his fourth complete game in his last five starts. He allowed just one run, a solo home run in the third inning. UCA answered that by scoring a combined 11 runs in the fourth through sixth innings to put the game away.

Hicks, Cleveland's high school teammate from Sheridan High School, provided the big blow, a grand slam in the fourth inning, his fifth home run of the season. The Bears piled up 16 hits, tying their season high that also came against Bellarmine on March 19 in their first series at Louisville, Ky.

Cleveland's strikeout total was the second-best of his UCA career and he finished the game by striking out two in the ninth inning.

The Bears (17-19, 11-5), in a first place tie in the ASUN West Division with Lipscomb, picked up a run in the first on an RBI single by third baseman A.J. Mendolia. After Bellarmine tied it in the third, Hicks put the Bears back in front for good with his grand slam to left center in the fourth inning. UCA put up three more in the fifth on a bunt single by shortstop R.J. Pearson and a two-run single by right fielder Kolby Johnson.

Four more came across in the sixth, courtesy of a two-run single by catcher Noah Argenta, an RBI double by second baseman Tanner Leonard and another RBI by Pearson.

Argenta finished with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored. Johnson, Hicks, Mendolia, Leonard, Pearson and center fielder Drew Sturgeon had two hits apiece. Johnson and Pearson had two RBI each, while Sturgeon and Pearson scored two runs each. Eight of UCA's nine starters scored a run and eight of nine had at least one hit. Johnson, Sturgeon and Pearson also had stolen bases.

A weekend schedule change due to expected rain on Sunday will have the Bears and Knights playing a doubleheader on Saturday. Game times are 1 and 4 p.m. at Bear Stadium.