HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - No. 4 seed Union (Tenn.) broke up a pitchers' duel with a five-run eighth inning and pulled away for a 7-1 win over No. 5 seed Asbury (Ky.) in the opening game of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Hardeeville bracket Thursday.

Asbury's Isaiah Bell and Union's Jared Davis were locked in a scoreless duel until Union (38-17-1) broke through on Will Irvin's RBI single in the seventh.

The Eagles (18-38) came back to tie it in the bottom of the inning on Danny Olszowy's RBI double to right.

But the Bulldogs finally solved Bell (4-6) in the eighth, as he loaded the bases before exiting with no outs. Cole McAdams gave the Bulldogs the lead with a sacrifice fly, and Kody Pinson also had an RBI double in the big inning.

Davis (5-5) held the Eagles to one run on seven  hits over seven innings, and Cody Dew pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Brett Pawlan and Kian Jost had two hits apiece for Union, which advanced to play top-seeded Faulkner (Ala.) at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Casey Messner, Simeon Bell and Matt Cox had two hits apiece for Asbury, which falls into the loser's bracket and faces the USC Beaufort-St. Thomas loser at 10 a.m. Friday.