NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A pair of homers by freshmen accounted for all of the Bellarmine University baseball team's runs, and a trio of Knights hurlers combined for a splendid pitching effort in a 5-4 win over ASUN co-leader Lipscomb in a series opener Friday at Dugan Field.

Freshman designated hitter Luke Scales got the scoring started with a two-run homer, and later freshman first baseman Brady Morse cranked a go-ahead three-run shot for Bellarmine (11-27, 6-10 ASUN), which matched its win total from last season with the victory over Lipscomb (19-19, 11-5).

Bellarmine's pitching kept one of the ASUN's most dangerous offenses at bay. Senior right-hander Nolan Pender earned his fourth win of the season after allowing four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. He held Lipscomb scoreless over his final two frames, and senior right-handers Devin Ecklar and Matt Craven combined for three shutout innings as the Knights did not allow a run after the fourth.

Ecklar fanned a pair in the seventh, including an inning-ending strikeout with runners on second and third. Craven entered with one out and a runner on second in the eighth and squashed the threat by inducing a fly out and ground out. He then retired the side in order in the ninth in recording his Division-I era program-record fifth save of the season.

Scales launched his third homer of the season in the second inning. He followed a leadoff single by senior second baseman Peyton Back with a two-run blast to left.

Morse's first collegiate homer came in the sixth with Bellarmine trailing 4-2 after Lipscomb scored three runs in the second and added another run in the fourth. The Knights had two runners on with two outs compliments of singles by senior third baseman Colin Bertsch and Scales when Morse hammered a shot over the left-field fence for a 5-4 lead.

Bellarmine amassed 11 hits. Bertsch racked up three while Scales, sophomore right fielder Casey Sorg and senior catcher Gabe Bratetic had two apiece.

The teams will meet in the second of the three-game series at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

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