LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the lead-in to Atlantic Sun Conference play, the Bellarmine University baseball team captured a 10-8 victory over Southern Indiana in a back-and-forth affair on Wednesday at Knights Field.

Playing its old archrival from the Division II days in Southern Indiana (7-9), Bellarmine (3-13) jumped out to a 5-1 lead and then trailed the Screaming Eagles 6-5 before a four-run fifth ultimately proved to be a decisive frame for the Knights.

Still, it was a tense matchup all the way to the final out. Senior right-hander Blake Donnan collected his first save after closing the contest with 2.0 shutout innings. USI had the tying run on first when Donnan shut the door after inducing a game-ending ground out.

Bellarmine racked up five runs in the third inning. Junior designated hitter Charlie Rife roped a double off the wall and scored on a wild pitch to get the Knights on the board.

Freshman shortstop Landon Akers and junior left fielder Eli Watson then sandwiched home runs around an RBI double from senior outfielder Casey Sorg. Akers' solo shot was his third of the season while Watson's two-run blast was his second long ball of the year.

Southern Indiana answered with a five-run fourth to grab a 6-5 advantage, but Bellarmine regrouped with a four-run fifth to vault right back into the lead at 9-6. The Knights quickly loaded the bases in the frame and scored two runs on wild pitches before Akers poked a two-run single.

Southern Indiana plated two runs in the sixth to get within 9-8, but Bellarmine added an insurance run in the bottom half. The Knights capitalized on a two-out error and then another error on a failed pickoff by the Screaming Eagles, as junior third baseman Luke Scales laced an RBI single.

Senior right-hander Logan Haslam finished off a scoreless seventh by inducing an inning-ending double play, and Donnan struck out two while retiring the side in order in the eighth before closing out the victory in the ninth.

Sophomore left-hander Carson Brower notched his first collegiate win after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings of relief. He came on for junior right-hander Brady Morse, who was especially strong over the first three innings as the Knights' offense got established in the latter of those frames.

Akers, Sorg, Watson, Scales and Rife each registered two hits as Bellarmine accumulated 10 overall. Akers tallied three RBI and Watson scored three runs.

Bellarmine will open ASUN action with a three-game series Friday-Sunday at Eastern Kentucky. The opener is set for 6 p.m. (ET) Friday.

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