LOUISVILLE, Ky. _ Another solid pitching performance and another dozen hits carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 9-3 ASUN victory over the Bellarmine Knights on Saturday at Knights Field.

The Bears (18-24, 9-11) won their first road series of the season by scoring five times in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach. Junior Mason Griffin struck out a pair of Knights in the bottom of the inning to seal it.

UCA starter Cade Fenton (2-3), a senior from Prairie Grove, Ark., had his second consecutive solid outing, going seven innings and striking out four and walking one while allowing three runs. Griffin, a junior from Rogers, Ark., went the final two innings, with four more strikeouts.

The Knights (11-32, 6-14) contributed five errors and used three pitchers that combined to walk six UCA batters. 

The Bears, who won the opener 10-2 on Friday, went up 1-0 in the first inning when junior center fielder Drew Sturgeon led off with a single down the right-field line and eventually scored on a fielder's choice by Kolby Johnson. Bellarmine tied the game in the second and went ahead 3-1 with a pair of runs in the fourth.

UCA then scored eight unanswered runs over the final five innings. UCA got three in the fifth off three hits. Third baseman Mason King had an RBI single to left field that scored Tanner Leonard. Designated hitter Trey Harris followed with an RBI single that brought in Sturgeon to tie it. Catcher Noah Argenta was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Bears the lead for good at 4-3.

The Bears threatened several more times, leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, and two on in the eighth. They finally capitalized in the ninth against Bellarmine reliever Matt Craven. Designated hitter Connor Flagg had a one-out double and Argenta was hit by another pitch. Kade Seldomridge walked to load the bases before Reid Bowman slapped an RBI single.

With two outs, Sturgeon singled up the middle to score two more, and King doubled in another two for the 9-3 lead.

Griffin walked one and hit a batter in the ninth but then struck out two and ended it with a ground out to earn his first save.

King finished 3 for 6 with 3 RBI, while Sturgeon went 3 for 6 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. UCA totaled 12 hits for the second straight game and had double figure hits for the 15th time this season. 

The series finale is set for 11 a.m. (CT) Sunday.