David Alvarez and Pedro Moreno led the Eastern Kentucky Colonels to a 16-11 victory against Bellarmine in the series opener on May 14 in Louisville. The two players combined for ten hits, eight runs batted in, and seven runs scored.
The game was highlighted by strong offensive performances from both Alvarez and Moreno. Alvarez went five-for-six at the plate with five RBIs and two runs scored, while Moreno also finished five-for-six, hitting a home run, drawing a walk, scoring five times, and collecting three RBIs.
Eastern Kentucky took an early lead with an RBI single from Alvarez that brought home Moreno in the first inning. In subsequent innings, Alvarez continued to drive in runs with key hits. Khaleel Pratt contributed with a triple that drove in another run during a three-run fifth inning for EKU.
Bellarmine attempted several comebacks throughout the game. Land Akers hit a two-run home run for Bellarmine’s first runs of the day, while Bryce Anderson added another three-run homer later on. Despite these efforts, EKU extended their lead through additional hits by Ricco Longo and Jackson Cauthron as well as Moreno’s own home run.
Hayden Collins started for Eastern Kentucky (16-37 overall) and earned the win after pitching more than five innings. Clay Cartledge provided scoreless relief late in the game. For Bellarmine (19-32), Luca Hoerger had four hits including a double that drove in two runs.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m.
