LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Austin Peay held off a late rally by the Bellarmine University baseball team to secure a 12-6 win over the Knights in an Atlantic Sun Conference series finale Saturday at St. Xavier High School.

Down 10-1 to Gold Division leader Austin Peay (22-7, 8-1 ASUN), Bellarmine (6-21, 2-7) made an inspired comeback by racking up five runs in the eighth.

And it was nearly more than that.

Senior Seth Sweet-Chick had the entire ballpark holding its breadth when he put a charge into a deep fly ball to right, but his potential game-tying grand slam was caught around the warning track for the final out in the inning.

Sophomore left-hander Aaron Ragat kept Austin Peay off the board through four innings. Unfortunately for Bellarmine, the play that perhaps loomed the largest came in the fifth, when the Knights had an errant throw that sabotaged a potential double play. Not only did the Governors take the lead by scoring two runs on the mishap, Cole Johnson immediately followed with a two-run homer.

Austin Peay then plated three runs apiece in the sixth and seventh to build a 10-1 advantage. The Governors added two crucial insurance runs in the ninth to again lead comfortably after the Knights had surged.

Junior Charlie Rife triggered Bellarmine's big eighth inning with a triple. Senior Jackson Case launched his first homer of the season — a solo shot — in the frame, while junior Luke Scales clubbed a two-run double.

Freshman Landon Akers went 4-for-5 with two runs scored for Bellarmine. Senior Casey Sorg had an RBI single in the first to stake the Knights to an early lead.

Bellarmine will play at 3 p.m. (ET) Tuesday at Ball State.

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