FLORENCE, Ala. — Freshman Landon Akers cranked a lead-off homer for the second time in three games, but pitching was largely the theme of Friday from there as North Alabama defeated the Bellarmine University baseball team 4-2 in Atlantic Sun Conference play at Bank Independent Stadium.

Bellarmine (10-28, 6-11 ASUN) and North Alabama (14-22, 9-8) have split the first two games of the series after the Knights captured a 15-5 victory in Thursday's opener. In the most recent contest, BU scored a run each in the first and third innings, but Lions starter Tripp Patterson proceeded to shut the Knights out over the final six frames while earning the complete-game win.

Bellarmine had a solid collective effort on the mound. Sophomore right-hander Zach Horwith tossed 3.0 scoreless innings before senior right-hander Mike Sokol worked the final 5.0.

After smacking a lead-off home run in Tuesday's midweek game at No. 2 Tennessee, Akers went deep in his first at-bat Friday against North Alabama to stake Bellarmine to an immediate 1-0 lead. It was his team-best sixth round-tripper of the season.

Freshman Christian Kiper led off the third with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Joey Milto for a 2-0 lead. North Alabama tied it up after scoring twice in the fourth, and the Lions plated their last two runs in the seventh.

Patterson did not allow a hit after the third inning. Akers collected two of Bellarmine's four hits for his team-best 18th multi-hit performance of the season.

The series finale is set for 2 p.m. ET (1 CT) Saturday.

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