CONWAY, Ark. (Interstat) — The Central Arkansas Bears used a four-run fifth inning to break open a tight game and rode dominant relief pitching to a 7-1 victory over the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans in the first game of a doubleheader at Bear Stadium on Friday.

A crowd of 232 saw the Bears improve to 9-6 on the season, while the Trojans fell to an even 7-7.

The game’s pivotal shift came in the bottom of the fifth inning, erasing what had been a promising start for the visiting Trojans. Arkansas-Little Rock had taken an early lead in the first inning when Smith walked, advanced to second on a Martin single, and scored on an RBI double from Cano. Trojans starter Parker managed to keep the Bears off the board through three innings, scattering three hits.

Central Arkansas finally broke through in the fourth to tie the game. Parker Gwyn doubled, moved to third on a Zeb Allen single, and scored on a sacrifice bunt from Jack Runsick. Allen later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.

The complexion of the game changed entirely in the bottom of the fifth. Jagger Schattle led off the inning with a solo home run to right-center field, extending the lead to 3-1. After a pitching change, Jayde Sloan singled, setting the stage for Parker Gwyn’s two-run homer to left-center. The blast capped a four-run outburst and gave the Bears a commanding 5-1 advantage.

From there, the Bears’ bullpen took over. Starter Denver Hamilton earned the win, going five innings and allowing one earned run on eight hits with four strikeouts. Reliever Braxton Haywood was exceptional in relief, throwing three perfect innings and striking out three. Jakes Jones pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game. The trio of Bears pitchers held the Trojans hitless over the final four innings.

Central Arkansas added insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings. In the sixth, Landon Carter doubled and scored on an RBI double from Schattle, his second run batted in of the game. In the eighth, Zachary Adams doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a balk to provide the final margin.

The Trojans collected seven hits, all within the first five innings, but stranded multiple runners and hit into two double plays. Cano led Arkansas-Little Rock with two hits and an RBI.

Schattle finished 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs to pace the Bears’ nine-hit attack. Gwyn added two hits, including his two-run homer, and scored twice.

The teams were scheduled to complete the doubleheader Friday. They will meet again Sunday in Little Rock to conclude the three-game series.

The victory defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s ELO system, which had given Arkansas-Little Rock a 51.70 percent probability to win.