CONWAY, Ark. – A four-run top of the third and solid pitching propelled the ULM baseball team to an 8-1 win over Central Arkansas Tuesday evening
 
The game started with Isaiah Walker collecting a base hit to lead off, but a double play groundout ended the threat in the first inning. Brennan Eager also allowed a hit but nothing more in the bottom half to keep the game scoreless.
 
The Bears (6-16, 1-5 Atlantic Sun) stuck first with a runner scoring on a ball that went past Marcus Aranda's glove. Eager and Aranda limited the damage to a run, catching a base runner trying to steal home to end the inning.
 
With runners in scoring position in the top of the third inning, Henry Garcia Jr. lined a ball through the left side to score Jake Haggard and Walker, giving the Warhawks (10-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) the lead. They added on with the next two batters with Michelle Artzberger and Jacob Billings delivering base hits to produce a 4-1 lead.
 
In the top of the fourth, Angelo Aleman blasted a solo home run to increase the lead to four runs. Zach Shaw entered the game in the bottom of the inning and struck out two batters to end the inning.
 
Marcus Aranda tacked on two more with an opposite-field two-run homer to make it 7-1. The Bears put a runner on second in the bottom half but a lineout to left field ended the scoring threat. After a one-two-three inning by ULM, UCA loaded the bases with one out. A groundout turned into a double play ended the inning and kept the score at 7-1.
 
In the top of the seventh, with Bryce Blaser and Artzberger in scoring position, Billings produced a sacrifice fly, scoring Blaser from third to make it an 8-1 ballgame. The Bears only put on two more bases runners for the rest of the game, and the Warhawks cruised to a win to open the Arkansas road trip.
 
Eager secured the win with 3.0 innings pitched with two strikeouts allowing just one run. Walker ended the night going 3-5 with a run scored and Garcia Jr., Billings, and Aranda each had two RBI performances.
 
ULM is back on the diamond tomorrow afternoon against Little Rock at 3 p.m.