KISSIMMEE, Fla. --- The Bellarmine University softball team opened up play in the 2011 Rebel Spring Games on Saturday as they won their opening game 13-3 over Shippensburg University before falling 8-3 to Minnesota State-Mankato.


GAME 1
The Knights have been lighting up the scoreboard early in the season, and the opener against Shippensburg was no different as Bellarmine put up five runs in the second inning capped by a two run homer by first baseman Lauren Summe to take the early 5-0 lead.

After Shippensburg (9-3) put up three runs in the top of the third inning, Coach Renee Hicks got solo homeruns from Jordan Basham and Madi Ratliff to continue the offensive surge. But the offense did not stop there as Bellarmine put up six more runs in the fourth inning, including a three run homer by Basham, to take the score to the 13-3 final.

Senior Casey Willard (5-1) picks up the win going the shortened five inning game giving up three earned runs on five hits while striking out five.

For the game, Bellarmine totaled 13 hits including six for extra bases.

Game 2
Minnesota-Mankato (12-1) jumped out early on Bellarmine as the Mavericks scored five runs in the opening two innings of the game thanks to three stolen bases and a home run by catcher Liz Doppenberg.

Bellarmine got on the board in the third inning as Summe hit a RBI double to the center field gap to bring home speedster Erin Sireno brining the Knights within three at 4-1. MSU would answer though tacking on one run apiece in the third and fifth inning.

In the sixth inning, Basham hit her third homer of the day to make the score 7-3. The home run brings her career total to 25, one shy of Laura Allgeier's all-time school record for home runs in a career.

But the Mavericks used a tough pitching to cool of the Bellarmine bats as MSU's Kendra Huettl went 5.1 innings giving up three runs and striking out six batters to pick up the win.

The loss drops the Knights' record to 8-4 on the season.

Bellarmine returns to action tomorrow as they will play two games against Saginaw Valley State with the first game beginning at 3:00 p.m.