CONWAY, Ark. — Matt Higgins became the program's all-time home run king, but the Bellarmine University baseball team fell 12-1 to Central Arkansas on Friday night in ASUN action in Bear Stadium.

Higgins' historic homer came on a solo shot in the third inning for Bellarmine (7-30, 5-11 ASUN). With two outs, the senior outfielder belted the first pitch from Tyler Cleveland over the wall in center field. In doing so, Higgins amassed his 37th career homer, the most in program history.

Higgins' 14th long ball of the season was one of few highlights for Bellarmine in the series opener against Central Arkansas (17-19, 11-5), which went ahead on Hunter Hicks' grand slam in the fourth and continued to pile on the runs from there.

Higgins homered for the third straight game and ninth time in the last 11 games. He's now gone deep in five of six ASUN series, including both against UCA. In addition to the homer record, the latest blast put him within two RBIs of the program's all-time record.

Cleveland (4-2) tossed his fourth complete game of the season for Central Arkansas. The righty struck out a career-high 10 batters against no walks while allowing one run on six hits.

Those six hits were scattered among six players for Bellarmine. UCA, meanwhile, racked up 16 hits and scored all 12 of its runs in a three-inning span. The Bears bracketed a three-run fifth with four runs each in the fourth and sixth.

Senior righthander Matt Craven pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief for Bellarmine. Only one of the five runs allowed by junior righthanded starter Drew Buhr over 3.2 innings was earned.

The second of the three-game series is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

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