BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana scored four runs in the eighth inning to overtake the Bellarmine University baseball team in a 5-3 victory Thursday at Bart Kaufman Field in the opening matchup of a four-game series.

It was a heartbreaking loss for Bellarmine (5-8), which built a 3-0 advantage and still led by two in the eighth on the strength of a superlative start by Nolan Pender. The Knights were on the verge of their first-ever win over a Power 5 opponent in the Division-I era when Indiana (7-6) plated all five of its runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

In a no-decision, Pender allowed only one run on seven hits with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. The senior right-hander blanked Indiana for six innings before Peter Serruto hit a solo homer with two outs in the seventh. Pender has yielded one run or less in three of his four outings this season.

Peyton Back went 2-for-5 with all three RBI for Bellarmine. The senior second baseman drove in the Knights' first run on fielder's choice in the third and added a two-run single in the fifth that followed singles by junior center Reed Blaszczyk and senior designated hitter Tommy Dilz.

Bellarmine's first four hitters — Blaszczyk, Dilz, Back and sophomore right fielder Casey Sorg — all had multiple hits, with Dilz amassing three. Senior left fielder Dylan Byerly also collected three hits as the Knights racked up 12 total, including a pair of doubles by Sorg and a two-bagger by Dilz. BU left 10 runners on base.

A pair of walks to open the eighth sparked Indiana's rally. The Hoosiers had an RBI double and a two-run double in the inning and tacked on a sacrifice fly for a fourth run in the frame.

The teams will play the second of the four-game series at 4 p.m. (ET) Friday.

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