LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bellarmine baseball opened its final regular season series Thursday afternoon with an offensive surge late in the game, but Eastern Kentucky pulled away for a 16-11 win at Knights Field. The Knights move to 19-32 overall and 11-17 in ASUN Conference play.
After EKU built a 5-0 lead through five innings, Bellarmine answered with a pair of home runs to climb back into the game. Luca Hoerger started the fifth inning rally with a single before Landon Akers launched a two-run homer to left center — his seventh home run of the season — to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Eastern Kentucky responded with three runs in the sixth inning, but the Knights answered immediately in the bottom half. Cole Huett worked a two-out walk and Hoerger doubled into left field before Bryce Anderson delivered the biggest swing of the day, blasting his first home run of the season — a three-run shot to left field — to bring Bellarmine back within 8-5.
The Knights continued to battle in the seventh inning as Eli Watson drew a walk and Luke Scales singled ahead of another RBI double from Hoerger, trimming the deficit to 10-7. EKU, however, used a six-run eighth inning to regain control.
Bellarmine kept fighting in the ninth, plating three more runs behind an RBI walk from Anderson, a two-run play from Akers reaching on an error, and an RBI groundout from Zac Jones.
Hoerger finished with a perfect day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI. Anderson drove in four runs, while Akers also tallied four RBI in the loss. Luke Scales added four hits for the Knights, who totaled 14 hits as a team.
Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky continue the series Friday at 3 p.m. ET at Knights Field.
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