TROY, Ala. — The Bellarmine University baseball team held a pair of leads in the early going, but No. 25 Troy strung together several big innings as the Trojans defeated the Knights 23-6 in the season opener Friday at Riddle-Pace Field.

In the head-coaching debut of Ben Reel, Bellarmine (0-1) had a solid showing with the bats, as the Knights collected 11 hits and scored in four of the seven innings against Troy (1-0). However, the Knights' pitching staff issued 11 walks, which helped enable the Trojans to break the contest open.

In his Bellarmine debut, junior left fielder Eli Watson went 3-for-4 while junior right fielder Joey Milto matched that output, with a triple and a double included in his performance along with an incredible catch at the wall. Freshman second baseman Landon Akers recorded his first collegiate hit, as did freshman catcher Mason Acton, who clubbed a double.

Bellarmine couldn't have started the game much better. The Knights' first four hitters all singled, with Watson driving in a run and another coming across on an error for a 2-0 lead.

Troy answered with two runs, but Bellarmine went back ahead 3-2 in the third when Milto crushed an RBI triple off the wall. Watson, who singled and stole second and third, scored on the play.

Troy took the lead for good with a three-run bottom half. The Trojans added four runs in the fourth, nine in the fifth and five in the sixth as they amassed 17 hits, including three home runs, two off the bat of Sean Darnell.

Junior catcher Charlie Rife roped a two-run double in the fifth, and Acton smacked an RBI double in the seventh in his first collegiate at-bat.

The second of the three-game series is set for 1 p.m. (ET) Saturday.

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