LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Battling for a spot in the ASUN Tournament, Jacksonville State clinched the series against the Bellarmine University baseball team with a 7-2 win Friday at Knights Field.

Jacksonville State (25-27, 18-11 ASUN) captured the first two of the three-game series against Bellarmine (11-42, 8-21). The Gamecocks entered the day in fourth place in the ASUN West but were only a single game back of Eastern Kentucky, Lipscomb and Central Arkansas, who were locked in a three-way tie for first at 18-10 each in league play.

Matt Higgins went 3-for-5 with a home run and double for Bellarmine. The senior left fielder spiked his single-season program-record total to 22 homers and his all-time program-record tally to 45 with a solo shot in the third inning.

Bellarmine scored both its runs in that third frame. Sophomore catcher Ashton Smith, senior right fielder Jacob Mulcahy and senior shortstop Clayton Mehlbauer all followed Higgins' smash with singles, the latter by Mehlbauer plating Smith.

As it did in the series opener, Jacksonville State got off to a quick start offensively, using a three-run second inning to build a 4-0 lead. After Bellarmine cut it to 4-2, the Gamecocks tacked on a run apiece in the fourth, fifth and eighth while blanking the Knights over the final six innings.

In addition to Higgins, sophomore first baseman Davis Crane had a multi-hit game with a pair of singles. Junior righthander Devin Ecklar allowed a single run and struck out three in 3.0 innings of relief.

The series and regular-season finale will take place at 1 p.m. (ET) Saturday at Knights Field. Bellarmine will honor its seniors prior to the contest.

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