LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The conversation about the Bellarmine University baseball team's performance in a Saturday doubleheader against North Alabama at Knights Field probably has to start with Matt Higgins, but there was certainly a lot more to say about the two games than that.

A ton, actually.

In an astonishing display of offense, Bellarmine set — and, in some cases, reset — a slew of Division I-era program records as the Knights steamrolled to 18-3 and 17-3 victories in a doubleheader sweep of visiting North Alabama in ASUN action.

All told, Bellarmine (5-25, 3-8 ASUN) scored 35 runs on 39 hits against North Alabama (8-21, 2-9) in the doubleheader. The Knights, who secured their first ASUN series victory of the season, launched six home runs on the day and scored at least one run in all but two innings over the pair of games. They scored two runs or more in eight of the frames.

The 18 runs in the series opener was a new D1-era record for Bellarmine. The same could be said of the Knights' 22 hits in the tail end of the doubleheader. Bellarmine's four homers in the opener was the most in a single game in the D1 era, as was the 17 RBIs.

Higgins continued his torrid stretch. For the two games, the senior left fielder went 8-for-10 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, six runs scored and two stolen bases. Higgins has gone deep in four straight games, with six long balls overall in that stretch and 11 for the season. In the opener, he delivered a two-homer outing for the second straight contest.

Of the three homers Higgins hit Saturday, the one that is likely to be remembered the most for those who witnessed the doubleheader was the first one. In the second inning of the opener, with the bases loaded, Higgins pulverized a pitch, sending a majestic shot over the fence in right center that, based on the high hop it took after landing, may have soared all the way to Newburg Road.

And Higgins was just getting started with that grand slam. Not surprisingly, he was walked on four pitches in his next at-bat, but he got a pitch he liked in the follow-up, bashing it over the wall in left center for a three-run homer. In the tail end, the ASUN All-Conference outfielder capped his three-homer day with a solo shot to left.

Higgins went 3-for-4 with seven RBIs and four runs scored in the opener and 5-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored in the tail end. He had three RBI singles in his second outing.

After his monster day, Higgins rocketed up to second on the program's all-time home run chart with 34 career homers. He's now two shy of tying Chris Gambert. Higgins has risen to fourth on the career RBI list with 164.

Ashton Smith was another Knight with a huge day. The sophomore designated hitter went 7-for-8 over the two games. After going 2-for-3 in the opener, Smith went 5-for-5 with five RBIs in the tail end. In the latter, he had three RBI singles and two RBI doubles.

Jacob Mulcahy was fantastic throughout the doubleheader. The senior right fielder went 6-for-10 with a pair of three-hit games, a homer, two doubles and three RBIs. It was the third time he went deep this season.

In the first positional starts of his college career, freshman second baseman Casey Sorg went 5-for-9 with three RBIs and five runs scored. Junior catcher Gabe Bratetic smacked a two-run homer in the opener — his third of the season — and added two hits in the tail end.

Junior third baseman Peyton Back had a pair of hits both games, senior center fielder Jack Ockerman went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the opener and sophomore first baseman Davis Crane had two hits and two RBIs in the first contest.

Senior shortstop Clayton Mehlbauer put the cherry on top with a two-run blast late in the finale. It was his fourth homer of the season.

Not to be overshadowed was Bellarmine's pitching. In the opener, junior righthander Nolan Pender tossed the program's third complete game in the D1 era after allowing three earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched (the run-rule was in effect in Game 1).

In the tail end, sophomore lefthander Gavin Braunecker pocketed the win after yielding two earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. Junior righthanders Ryan Johnson and Joe Wilkinson posted 1.0 scoreless inning of relief apiece.

The series finale will unfold at 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday at Knights Field.

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