Central Arkansas at Bellarmine Preview

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — The Central Arkansas Bears visit the Bellarmine Knights on Friday afternoon at Knights Field, opening a three-game ASUN Conference series. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET under cloudy skies with temperatures near 83 degrees.

Central Arkansas (23-19) enters on a five-game winning streak, most recently defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 10-9 on Wednesday. The Bears hold a 3-2 edge in the season series after taking two of three from the Knights in Conway, Arkansas, in March — including a 17-12 slugfest in the opener and an 8-7 walk-off win in the finale.

Bears outfielder Zeb Allen has been a force, collecting hits in seven of his last eight games and driving in runs in five of those contests. In Wednesday’s win, Allen went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Over his last nine games, he is batting .333 with three homers and 14 RBIs.

Bellarmine (17-23) snapped a five-game skid Tuesday with an 8-6 victory at Dayton. The Knights have struggled defensively, posting a 5.29 team ERA — second-worst in the ASUN. Right-hander Drew Jennings has been effective when healthy; in Tuesday’s win, he tossed three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. However, Jennings has surrendered seven earned runs over 6¹/₃ innings across his other four appearances this season.

The Knights have lost four straight at home and are 6-12 at Knights Field this season.

Friday’s matchup opens a nine-game homestand for Bellarmine. The series continues Saturday and Sunday. Central Arkansas begins a stretch of 10 consecutive games against ASUN opponents.

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-4 win for the Bears.