LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Matt Higgins tied the single-season program record for home runs, but the Bellarmine University baseball team fell 17-4 to Eastern Kentucky in ASUN action Saturday at Knights Field.

Higgins' solo homer in the third inning boosted his season total to 18, tying Craig Sharpe's 1986 campaign as the most in Knights history. The senior left fielder staked Bellarmine to a 1-0 lead with his 13th homer in the last 16 games and fattened his program-record career tally to 41.

A five-run fourth and a two-run fifth pushed Eastern Kentucky (28-15, 13-7 ASUN) to a 7-2 lead over Bellarmine (10-32, 7-13). Sophomore first baseman Davis Crane lifted a sacrifice fly and junior catcher Gabe Bratetic yanked an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-4.

Eastern Kentucky responded with three runs in the sixth to lead comfortably, and the Colonels scored six runs in the ninth to make the final even more lopsided. EKU smacked four homers in the game and finished with 16 hits.

Bellarmine collected 11 hits of its own. Junior third baseman Peyton Back went 3-for-4 while Higgins and Bratetic notched two hits apiece.

First pitch in the series finale is set for 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday.

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