CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas took a 5-0 lead after two innings and held on to beat the Bellarmine University baseball team 7-4 Friday in an Atlantic Sun Conference series opener at Bear Stadium.

Bellarmine (6-31, 5-11 ASUN) struggled to make consistent contact against Central Arkansas (14-22, 5-11), as winning pitcher Jesse Barker struck out 11 in 7.0 innings pitched and Hunter Alexander fanned two more in 2.0 innings while earning the save.

Although both teams registered six hits, Bellarmine's staff walked seven and hit four batters. Two of the walks and one of the hit batters came in Central Arkansas' four-run second inning that boosted the Bears' lead to 5-0.

Bellarmine scored a run in the third on an RBI single by senior center fielder Will Aubel, another in the fourth on the first home run of the season from sophomore shortstop Luke Scales and two in the fifth on a two-run single by senior third baseman Reed Blaszczyk.

Central Arkansas added two insurance runs in the seventh, with the critical spell starting with a walk and hit by pitch. The Bears held Bellarmine scoreless over the final 4.0 innings.

Scales went 2-for-3. Senior right-hander Devin Ecklar tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, senior left-hander Steven Thom added a scoreless frame and freshman right-hander Chase Carver entered in a jam in the eighth and induced an inning-ending double play.

Game 2 is set for 5 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

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