FLORENCE, Ala. — Senior right-hander Anthony Ethington recorded a strikeout with the bases loaded in the ninth to secure the Bellarmine University baseball team's tense 3-2 win over North Alabama in ASUN play Sunday at Mike Lane Field.

In the best outing of his young career, Nolan Pender earned his first collegiate win for Bellarmine (12-24, 7-11 ASUN), which took two out of three in the series against North Alabama (5-32, 4-14). The freshman right-hander registered a career-high 10 strikeouts in a career-best 6.0 innings pitched while allowing two runs on seven hits.

Ethington worked 3.0 scoreless innings in registering his fourth save. In the ninth, North Alabama opened the frame with a pair of singles, the latter on a bunt in which the Bellarmine fielder slipped. The Knights had good fortune, however, when the next Lion pushed a sacrifice-bunt attempt hard down third, and Knights freshman Peyton Back easily fired to third for the force out of the lead runner.

Ethington induced a pop up for the second out, but North Alabama loaded the bases on a walk. With two strikes against him, Kylan Barnett fouled off several pitches, including one down the right-field line that was very close to the chalk, before Ethington fired one past him to clinch the series for Bellarmine.

Bellarmine accounted for its three runs with two in the third and one in the fourth. In the former frame, freshman first baseman Davis Crane had an RBI on a fielder's choice and senior second baseman Justin Rouse roped an RBI double down the third-base line. In the latter, senior left fielder Chris Gambert had an RBI ground out, driving in what turned out to be the winning run.

Junior center fielder Matt Higgins went 3-for-4 and Gambert added two hits.

Bellarmine does not have a midweek game. The Knights will head to Liberty for a three-game ASUN series Friday-Sunday.

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