LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — Zeb Allen went 3 for 5 with a home run, three runs batted in and a stolen base to lead Central Arkansas to a 14-7 victory over Bellarmine on Saturday afternoon at Knights Field in an ASUN Conference game.

Allen’s performance capped a series-opening win for the Bears, who improved to 25-19 overall and 11-6 in conference play. The Knights fell to 17-25 and 7-10.

Central Arkansas pounded out 18 hits to Bellarmine’s eight. The Bears scored in five different innings, breaking the game open with a four-run seventh and adding a run in the eighth and another in the ninth.

Bellarmine took a brief 1-0 lead in the second? No. Actually, the Bears struck first. After a scoreless first inning, Central Arkansas erupted for five runs in the top of the second. Mark Ross doubled and scored on Casey Shipley’s double to left center. Allen followed with a double that plated Shipley and Zane Denton. Nathan Negre then tripled to right center, driving in Allen and Denton, and Ja Schattle doubled to left to score Negre.

The Bears added three more in the third. Kea Laidley singled and later scored on a fielder’s choice error. Ross scored on a wild pitch after a walk to Allen, making it 8-0.

Bellarmine got on the board in the fourth when AJ Swader scored on an error and Eli Watson’s double. The Knights trimmed the deficit to 8-3 in the fifth as Nick Gnardellis scored on a groundout and Landon Akers scored on another groundout.

Bellarmine closed to 8-4 in the sixth when Sawyer Pace scored on a sacrifice fly by Connor Pawlowski.

Then came the decisive top of the seventh. Gwyn Parker singled, Laidley struck out, and Jac Runsick singled. With two on, Ross launched a three-run home run to left field. Shipley followed with a solo homer to left, pushing the lead to 12-4.

Bellarmine answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh on a groundout by Pace and a single by Luke Scales, making it 12-6.

Central Arkansas added a run in the eighth when Laidley walked, stole second and scored on a single by Runsick that was aided by a throwing error. Bellarmine countered with a run in the bottom half on Akers’ double that scored Luca Hoerger.

Allen capped the scoring in the ninth with a two-run homer to right field that scored Denton, who had doubled.

Shipley also went 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBI. Ross finished 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBI. Negre had two hits and two RBI. For Bellarmine, Akers went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI.

Jakes Jones started for Central Arkansas and pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs on no hits with two strikeouts. Silas Cowgill tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Kannon Nesslage allowed one run in two innings with three strikeouts. Braxton Haywood made a brief appearance, recording no outs and no hits.

Presley Monteforte pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for Bellarmine, allowing one hit.

The win came a day after Central Arkansas defeated Bellarmine 13-2 on Friday. The teams meet again Sunday to complete the three-game series.

Central Arkansas next plays at Austin Peay, while Bellarmine hosts Morehead State before traveling to North Alabama.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Central Arkansas 8, Bellarmine 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Bears a 61.90 percent probability of winning.