SPRINGFIELD, Mo. _ The Missouri State Bears scratched out a run in the bottom of the 14th inning on Friday to down the University of Central Arkansas Bears 11-10 in the opening game of their three-game non-conference series at Hammons Field.

Nick Rodriguez had a one-out RBI single off UCA reliever Mason Griffin in the 10th that finally ended the 5-hour, 20-minute affair. UCA used five pitchers and MSU sent seven to the mound. Both teams left 13 runners on base, with UCA getting 11 hits and Missouri State 14.

UCA got a pair of home runs from senior Kolby Johnson and junior Dylan Cyr and had a four-run and a three-run inning. The purple Bears went ahead 9-6 in the seventh inning, scoring three runs with just one hit and a MSU error. Freshman Kade Seldomridge had the big hit, a two-run single to left that scored Cyr and Johnson.

But MSU answered that with a three-run eighth to send it to extra innings. Neither team scored until the 13th when Johnson hit a solo home run to left center to give the Bears a short-lived 10-9 lead. MSU tied it back up with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame.

In the 14th, UCA got a leadoff walk from Seldomridge and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt but was stranded there. MSU led off the bottom of the inning with a base hit and the runner went ot second on a wild pitch. Following a walk and a strikeout, Rodriguez singled through the left side for the game winner.

Johnson, Cyr, Drew Sturgeon and Seldomridge had two hits apiece, while Sturgeon drew three walks. Johnson scored three runs.

MSU got four hits each from its Nos. 1-2 hitters in Rodriguez and Spencer Nivens.

Game 2 of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, with the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.