LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University baseball team seemed doomed from the start in Monday's opener. The same could be said for McKendree once the Knights started dialing in at the plate in the tail end.

The result was a split at Knights Field, as the Bearcats captured the first game with a relatively convincing 5-1 victory before Bellarmine flexed its muscle in the series finale in notching a 14-8 triumph in Great Lakes Valley Conference action.

Bellarmine (15-7, 3-1 GLVC) won three of four against McKendree (5-16, 1-3) in a solid start to league play. In the final game, the Knights piled up a season-high 16 hits and matched a season best with 14 runs.

Zac Wiley had a big showing in Monday's tail end. The junior right fielder went 4 for 5 and launched a towering two-run homer. Senior shortstop Drew Greenwood collected three hits and two RBIs and senior designated hitter Brady Pfaadt, senior left fielder Griffin Neuer and junior first baseman Jacob Pendred added two hits apiece.

Bellarmine scored twice in the second, three times in the third, once in the fourth, six times in the fifth and twice in the seventh. The six-run fifth broke the game open as junior center fielder Alex Phillips began the onslaught with a two-run single with the bases loaded.

Greenwood followed with an RBI single, Pfaadt yanked a double and Wiley cranked a two-run homer that sailed over the high fence in left. Wiley's second round-tripper of the season boosted the lead to 12-1. In his next at-bat, he lined a rocket off the fence and scored on junior third baseman Josh Finerty's two-run single.

Freshman right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (3-1) earned the win after striking out six and allowing four earned runs in 5.2 innings. Junior left-hander Willie Poe added 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.

In the opener, Bellarmine committed a two-base error on the first batter of the contest, and then Greenwood, the Knights' first hitter, ripped a line drive right at a Bearcats infielder for an out. It was that kind of game for Bellarmine.

McKendree's Levi Brening (1-1) was also strong, allowing a single run on four hits in 6.0 innings. The Bearcats banged out 12 hits and scored twice in the first and once in the third, fourth and sixth.

Senior second baseman Alex Ralph had two of Bellarmine's four hits in the opener. Senior left-hander Hunter Spencer (3-1) took his first loss. Junior right-hander Kyle Beach struck out four and allowed one earned run over 3.1 innings of relief.

Bellarmine plays Tuesday and Wednesday in single games at Tusculum. The opener starts at 6 p.m. (ET) and the finale begins at 1 p.m.

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GAME 1 BOX SCORE (HTM)
GAME 2 BOX SCORE (HTM)