MONROE, La. (Interstat) — The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks opened their 2026 baseball season with an emphatic 11-2 victory over the Central Arkansas Bears on Friday afternoon at Warhawk Field, overcoming an early deficit with a relentless offensive performance.

Central Arkansas scratched across an unearned run in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. J. Sloan singled, advanced to third on a N. Negre single, and scored when C. Shipley’s infield hit was compounded by a throwing error by the Warhawks’ second baseman. The Bears added another unearned run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Z. Allen after P. Gwyn reached on a two-base error and advanced on a wild pitch.

Louisiana-Monroe, held to just one hit through the first three innings by Central Arkansas starter J. Williams, erupted in the bottom of the third to erase the deficit. Davis Mauzy ignited the rally with a single, and after a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, consecutive walks to B. Blaser and M. Aranda forced in two runs to tie the game.

The Warhawks took the lead for good in the fourth. Mauzy singled again and scored on an RBI double by K. Dupont, making it 3-2. They broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Jackson Landry that drove in M. Aranda and Sutton Lewis.

The most decisive sequence came in the bottom of the sixth inning, turning a competitive game into a rout. With two runners on, Mauzy doubled and Dupont was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, M. Aranda delivered a two-run single to center, extending the lead to 7-2. The next batter, Jake Haggard, launched a three-run home run to left-center field off reliever Samuel Curtis, capping the five-run inning and pushing the advantage to 10-2.

Louisiana-Monroe added a final run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by K. Dupont. Warhawks starter Brandt Corley earned the win, allowing two unearned runs on three hits over five-plus innings. Central Arkansas used five pitchers, with starter J. Williams taking the loss after surrendering three runs in three-plus innings.

The Warhawks’ offense was paced by Davis Mauzy, who went 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Jake Haggard’s three-run homer was the biggest blow, while Jackson Landry and M. Aranda each drove in two runs. The Warhawks capitalized on eight walks and three hit batters, grounding into two double plays but overwhelming the Bears’ staff with an 11-hit attack.

Central Arkansas managed only three singles in the game, two coming in their two-run fourth inning. Bears hitters struck out 10 times.

With the victory, Louisiana-Monroe begins the season 1-0, while Central Arkansas starts 0-1. The two teams are scheduled to continue their series with a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 15. The Warhawks will travel to face Northwestern State on Tuesday, Feb. 17, while the Bears will host the same Northwestern State team for a four-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 20.