ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Bellarmine University baseball team was unable to avoid a three-game sweep to Henderson State University in a 6-5 loss on Monday afternoon at Clyde Berry Field.

The losses move Bellarmine to 2-4 on the season.  The Knights return to the field on Wednesday for a nine-inning contest against Wayne State (Neb.) College at 3 p.m. in Evansville, Ind.

Recaps of the three-game set follow.

Game 1 (Sunday): Henderson State 11, Bellarmine 1

Following the postponement of Saturday's scheduled game due to rain, the Knights came out flat in the early game of the doubleheader, and were held to just four hits by Reddies starter Nathan Eller. 

Cory Johnson drove in Zachary Blanchard from third base on a groundout to second in the second inning, tying the game at one.  Henderson state responded with four runs in both the third and fourth innings to extend the margin.

Bellarmine starter Kyle Grana (L, 0-1) allowed seven earned runs off nine hits, while walking four and striking out three batters.

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Game 2 (Sunday): Henderson State 5, Bellarmine 2

The Knights rallied from a two-run deficit to even the game at two in the fourth inning of the nightcap when Braxton Graven smacked Bellarmine's first homerun of the 2011 season, scoring John Lyons, who led off the inning getting hit by a pitch.

Reddies' Charlie Hillman singled home Caleb Bryant from third base to extend the HSU lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning, while the home squad collected an insurance run in the sixth to complete the scoring.

Jason Sterrett (L, 0-1) pitched five complete innings, allowed five hits and four earned runs, and walked five.

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Game 3 (Monday): Henderson 6, Bellarmine 5

Bellarmine built an early 2-0 lead in the first inning off back-to-back RBI's by Eric Standafer and David Weinstein.  A sixth inning Sam Burke RBI fielder's choice scored Blanchard, and a seventh inning error by Henderson State shortstop Jeff Beck, which allowed Graven to score and gave the visitors a 4-1 advantage.

HSU responded in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs, and added three more in the eighth, highlighted by a sacrifice fly from Zac Zdanowicz.

Bellarmine made a last-ditch effort in the ninth as Michael Morrissette scored on a no-out error by first baseman Lee Harris.  However, a pair of strikeouts and a lineout to second base ended BU's hopes of tying the contest.

Starter Benjamin Fuchs struck out four in six innings.  Phil Forbis (L, 0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) in pitching one inning.

BOX SCORE