MONROE, La. (Interstat) — In a wild back-and-forth affair that saw a 12-run lead nearly evaporate, the Central Arkansas Bears held off the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 12-11 on Saturday at Warhawk Field to even their weekend series.

The Bears, who dropped the series opener 11-2 on Friday, appeared to run away with the game early, building a commanding 12-0 advantage through the top of the fourth inning. However, the Warhawks mounted a relentless comeback, scoring 11 unanswered runs across the fourth, fifth, and a seven-run seventh inning, but ultimately fell one run short.

The most important part of the game was undoubtedly the Bears’ explosive top of the fourth inning, which broke the game open and provided the crucial cushion they would desperately need later. Leading just 2-0, Central Arkansas sent 12 batters to the plate against two Warhawk relievers and erupted for eight runs on seven hits.

The inning started modestly with a single by Kade Moseni and a bunt single by Zeb Allen. Jayden Sloan then drove in the first run of the frame with a single, followed by an RBI single from Nathan Negre. After an out, Jack Runsick delivered the decisive blow, a three-run home run to left field that stretched the lead to 8-0. Parker Gwyn doubled and Kade Seldomridge followed with an RBI double to cap the onslaught, giving Central Arkansas a seemingly insurmountable 10-0 lead. They added two more runs in the inning on a fielder’s choice and an error.

That 12-0 lead proved to be just enough as Louisiana-Monroe began its methodical climb back. Shawn Lewis hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to put the Warhawks on the board. They added single runs in the fifth and seventh before unleashing their biggest rally in the bottom of the seventh, sending 14 batters to the plate.

The Warhawks scored seven runs in the inning, capitalizing on a hit batter, two walks, a key error by the Bears’ pitcher, and timely hits, including a two-run single by Lewis. When the dust settled, Central Arkansas’ lead had been trimmed to a single run at 12-11.

From there, the Bears’ bullpen managed to stem the tide. After Hunter Alexander entered with the bases loaded in the seventh and induced an inning-ending force out, he and the Central Arkansas defense kept the Warhawks off the board in the final two frames. Louisiana-Monroe put the tying run on third base with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Alexander struck out two consecutive pinch-hitters to end the game.

Central Arkansas finished with 12 hits, matching Louisiana-Monroe’s total. The Bears benefited from eight walks and three hit batters. Nathan Negre led the Bears with three hits and two RBIs, while Jack Runsick drove in four runs. For the Warhawks, Shawn Lewis had a game-high five RBIs on his home run and key single.

With the win, both teams move to 1-1 on the young season. The decisive third game of the series is scheduled for Sunday.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Louisiana-Monroe had been projected with a 57.80 percent probability to win the contest.