CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The Bellarmine University baseball team split a series-opening doubleheader Saturday with ASUN rival Austin Peay, posting an 8-6 comeback victory before falling 6-4 at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Bellarmine moved to 8-19 overall and 3-5 in the ASUN, while Austin Peay is now 11-16 and 4-4.

Game 1: Bellarmine 8, Austin Peay 6
Bellarmine trailed 5-0 after five innings but rallied with five runs in the sixth and then took the lead with a two-run seventh while adding another run in the eighth. Meanwhile, the Knights limited the Governors to only one run over the final six innings.

The sixth-inning surge started when senior left fielder Tommy Dilz reached on a dropped fly ball in the outfield as fierce winds made almost anything hit in the air an adventure. Junior first baseman Davis Crane followed with a single.

Junior designated hitter Reed Blaszczyk then brought them both home after roping a double off the wall. After sophomore right fielder Casey Sorg walked and senior third baseman Colin Bertsch singled to load the bases, senior second baseman Peyton Back cut the deficit to one after punching a two-run single down the right-field line.

Bertsch raced home with the tying run after scoring on a two-out wild pitch. Bertsch wasn't finished, as the next inning he followed consecutive singles by Crane and Blaszczyk by hammering a go-ahead, two-run triple off the fence with two outs for a 7-5 lead.

Austin Peay scored once in the bottom half, but Bellarmine restored a two-run lead in the eighth as senior center fielder Will Aubel had an infield single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman catcher Charlie Rife.

Senior right-hander Matt Craven ended a threat in the eighth by entering and inducing an inning-ending double play. He secured his fourth save of the season in the ninth after working around a pair of baserunners by getting a pair of pop outs and a game-ending ground out.

Drew Buhr earned his third win of the season. Austin Peay scored three runs in the second and two in the third, but the senior right-hander held the Governors scoreless over the next three innings as the Knights rallied.

Blaszczyk and Bertsch registered three hits apiece, while Crane and Aubel collected two each.

Game 2: Austin Peay 6, Bellarmine 4
Bellarmine scored the final four runs of the contest, but unfortunately Austin Peay built a 6-0 lead after five innings and held on for the Saturday split.

Bellarmine got on the board in the sixth when Blaszczyk followed a double by senior second baseman Dylan Byerly with his team-high eighth homer of the season. Byerly then had an RBI single in the seventh, the Knights' third straight two-out hit after senior catcher Ashton Smith and senior shortstop Brett Pfaadt also singled.

Bellarmine went down in order in the eighth, but Back and Aubel opened the ninth with consecutive singles, the latter scoring Back after he had advanced on a passed ball. Aubel stole second but was stranded as Davin Pollard sewed up a save and the win with back-to-back strikeouts.

Junior right-hander Cody Medley tossed 3.0 scoreless innings of relief for Bellarmine.

The teams will conclude the series at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday.

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