PINE BLUFF, Ark. — History was made at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex on Tuesday afternoon. Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeated Central Arkansas 13-3 in seven innings, snapping a 13-game losing streak against the Bears and claiming the program's first win over their in-state rival since 2015. The Golden Lions improved to 14-17 on the season.

UAPB wasted no time putting pressure on the Bears, scoring in each of the first three innings to build a cushion before UCA could settle in. Aaron Grant opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single through the right side to plate Jose Vasquez. The Golden Lions added a run in the second on a Vinny Saumell RBI single that scored Aaron Grant, with Weston Gingerich reaching on a single that was aided by a throwing error to push another run home. In the third, Jose Vasquez doubled down the left-field line to score Ian Smith before a second UCA error again extended the frame.

Central Arkansas cut into the lead with a two-run fifth, but UAPB answered immediately with a Weston Gingerich RBI single in their half of the inning to keep the Bears at arm's length.

The sixth inning put the game away. Zach Wieder stepped to the plate and launched a two-run home run to right field to make it 8-2, and the Golden Lions kept the line moving. Nick Hockemeyer singled through the left side with two outs to drive in two more, Owen Gietzen added an RBI single up the middle, and Jose Vasquez capped the six-run frame with an RBI single to center to push the lead to 12-2. UAPB tacked on two more in the seventh on RBI singles from Vinny Saumell and Ian Smith.

Jordan Medellin was sharp in his start, working 4.2 scoreless innings — allowing no hits, walking one, and striking out five — before turning it over to Nate Lee, who finished the final 2.1 frames and worked around the Bears' lone scoring threat to close it out. Medellin improved to 1-1 on the year.

Jose Vasquez led the offense, going 3-for-3 with two RBI, a double, and two runs scored. Ian Smith went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored three times, while Vinny Saumell went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Weston Gingerich was 2-for-2 with an RBI in limited action, and Zach Wieder provided the decisive blow with his two-run shot in the sixth.

The Golden Lions head to Montgomery, Alabama, this week for a three-game SWAC road series against Alabama State, beginning Thursday, April 2 through Saturday, April 4.