LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kennesaw State held the Bellarmine University baseball team's offense in check in securing a 7-2 win over the Knights in an Atlantic Sun Conference series opener Friday at Knights Field.

The mound work for both Kennesaw State (23-17, 13-6 ASUN) and Bellarmine (6-35, 5-14) was sound. The contest was largely a pitchers' duel until the Owls scratched across a few more runs in the late innings.

Bellarmine scored both of its runs in the third inning. Junior second baseman Andres Castro doubled and scored on an RBI single by sophomore catcher Charlie Rife, who came home on an RBI single by junior first baseman Casey Sorg.

Kennesaw State starting pitcher Nolan Sliver didn't allow more than one baserunner from the fourth through the seventh innings. With the Owls leading 5-2, Bo Rhudy entered after Castro led off the eighth with a single and tossed 2.0 scoreless frames to earn the save.

Kennesaw State took the lead for good at 3-2 in the fourth and added a run apiece in the seventh and eighth and two more in the ninth.

Freshman right-hander Sam Matherly allowed one run in 2.0 innings, and later senior right-hander Ryan Johnson yielded a pair in 4.0 frames as Bellarmine was solid on the mound following an encouraging series in that area the previous weekend at Central Arkansas. The Knights held the Owls to eight hits.

Castro and Rife were responsible for four of Bellarmine's six hits, with each collecting a pair.

The second game of the series is set for 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

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