CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois pulled away from the Bellarmine University baseball team in the latter stage of a 17-7 victory over the Knights on Friday in the series opener at Itchy Jones Stadium.

Bellarmine (2-10) was within 8-6 of Southern Illinois (9-3) in the middle of the sixth before the Salukis ended the contest with four- and five-run frames. SIU amassed 19 hits, four of which were home runs.

Senior infielder Seth Sweet-Chick smacked his team-high fourth homer for the Knights while adding an RBI double. Freshman infielder Landon Akers went 3-for-5 while senior center fielder Casey Sorg was 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Bellarmine plated two runs in the first on an RBI single by Sorg and an RBI double by junior designated hitter Brady Morse. The Knights trailed 4-3 after a solo homer by Sweet-Chick in the fourth.

Southern Illinois built its lead to 8-3, but Bellarmine rallied to within two in the sixth on a two-run single by Sorg and an RBI by junior left fielder Eli Watson. The Salukis responded with a four-run bottom half and tacked on five more runs in the seventh.

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

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