LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine baseball team celebrated “senior day” in style with a sweep of visiting Lewis 2-1 in 11 innings and 3-2 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Knights Field. BU improves to 25-17 (17-8 GLVC) while Lewis drops to 18-13 (11-9).

In game one, Bellarmine pulled out a pitchers' duel when John Lyons scored from first after the Lewis right fielder bobbled the ball following a single by Braxton Graven.

Both starting pitchers were superb as Bellarmine starter Benjamin Fuchs tossed nine innings of five-hit ball, allowing just one run. Fuchs' counterpart Tom Helwich threw eight and a third innings allowing seven hits and giving up just one run.

Phil Forbis, the Knights' closer, pitched the final two innings without allowing a base runner to pick up the win. Matt Frahm took the loss for the Flyers.

Lewis took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as Brian Norwood was credited with a steal of home on a play in which the Flyers' Ryan Koerner had gotten caught in a run-down between first and second.

The starting pitchers held the offenses at bay until Bellarmine scratched out a run to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Sam Burke led off the inning by doubling down the left field line, and Brian Hockman laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move him to third. Bellarmine Coach Deron Spink then called for the suicide squeeze, which worked to perfection as Justin Eberenz's bunt was handled by the pitcher, whose only play was to first.

In the nightcap, Lewis got on the scoreboard early with a run in the first. Richard Forkin singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Andrew Brauer's RBI single.

Bellarmine answered in the fourth when Graven connected on the Knights' first single of the game, stole second and came home on Zachary Blanchard's base hit to even the score at 1-1.

In the sixth, Kyle Roden's RBI single plated Blanchard to pull the Knights ahead 2-1. John Lyons singled Roden home to increase the lead to 3-1.

The Flyers got a run back in the top of the seventh when Mike Vuscko walked, took third on Forkin's single and crossed the plate on a wild pitch for the 3-2 final.

Jason Sterrett (6-3) picked up the complete game win, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out three in 7.0 innings. Blanchard was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Lyons was also 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Pat Lahey (6-3) took the loss, surrendering three earned runs on eight hits and striking out four in 5.2 innings. Forkin was 3-for-3 with a run.

Prior to the first game, Bellarmine honored seven seniors who are playing in their final home games this weekend: Blanchard, Aaron Deatherage, Graven, Lyons, Samuel Robinson, Ryan Sheehy, and David Weinstein.

BOX SCORE GAME 1

BOX SCORE GAME 2