CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears got an RBI single from senior designated hitter Preston Curtis in the 10th inning Friday to grab a 11-10 victory over the Evansville Purple Aces in the series opener at Bear Stadium.

The Bears (5-6) opened the inning with a walk by right fielder Blaine French and a base hit to center field by center fielder Sam Reynolds. First baseman Jake Trabbie executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both runners. Curtis then laced a single up the middle against Evansville reliever Kellen Roberts to score French with the game-winning run.

The Bears pounded out 17 hits, including a 4-for-5 day by junior third baseman Bryce Cermenelli and a 3-for-4 day from French.

The offensive fireworks started early as the Purple Aces (3-9) scored twice in the top of the first. But the Bears more than answered that with five runs in the bottom of the inning when they sent 10 batters to the plate. Cermenelli had an RBI double, French had an RBI single and Curtis added a two-run single down the left-field line. The fifth run came in on a throwing error.

UCA pushed the lead to 8-2 with a three-run third, courtesy of a three-run home run to right field by redshirt freshman center fielder Sam Reynolds.

The Purple Aces scored the next five runs to close to within 8-7 but the Bears added one in the fifth with a Cermenelli base hit that scored Zeb Allen. Evansville tied it with two runs in the fifth, then went in front with two more in the sixth and one in the seventh. UCA forced extra innings with a run in the seventh with an RBI single by freshman shortstop Nathan Negre.

UCA threatened in the ninth inning but had a runner thrown out at home and left two base runners on.

UCA junior reliever Hunter Alexander (2-1) was dominant over the final 3.2 innings, striking out a career-high eight of the 13 batters he faced and allowing just one hit and no runs. Roberts took the loss for the Purple Aces as their fifth pitcher of the day.

Allen, Negre, Reynolds and Curtis all had two hits, while Curtis and Reynolds had three RBI apiece. Allen and French each scored three runs.

Game 2 of the series has been moved up to 1 p.m. Saturday to avoid possible late-afternoon rain.