CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas built a buffer with a five-run sixth inning in defeating the Bellarmine University baseball team 11-4 in an Atlantic Sun Conference series opener Friday at Bear Stadium.

Playing in its fifth different state on the road in the last seven games, Bellarmine (10-32, 6-13 ASUN) cut a 4-0 deficit against Central Arkansas (16-24, 9-10) in half in the fourth, but the Bears pulled away after plating five runs on six hits in the sixth.

Bellarmine's two-run fourth featured consecutive two-out doubles by junior Luke Scales and sophomore Nick Gnardellis followed by an RBI single by junior Charlie Rife.

The Knights scored one run each in the eighth and ninth. In the former, junior Garrett Rusch cranked a triple off the wall in center before being drove in by freshman Landon Akers. Junior Eli Watson and Scales singled in the ninth, with Watson scoring BU's final run.

Central Arkansas amassed 13 hits and rode a strong start by Hunter Alexander, who allowed three runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings pitched.

Senior Casey Sorg, Scales and Rife registered two hits apiece for Bellarmine.

The second game of the series has been moved up to 3 p.m. ET (2 CT) Saturday.

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