LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine University baseball team split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader today with the St. Joseph's College Pumas winning game one 3-2 before dropping the nightcap 8-7.

The split brings the Knights to 19-13 on the season with an 11-5 conference mark, which keeps in third place in East Division just percentage points ahead of Lewis, who is 13-9.  The Pumas continue their climb up the standings with an overall record of 12-23 and 11-11 in GLVC play--fifth place in the East.

Between games of the doubleheader, Bellarmine honored six seniors who are winding down their Bellarmine careers:  Matt Bayes, Kyle Roden, Taylor Scarlett, Kal Scheler, Kris Sipes, and Justin Strohmeier.

The Knights get just a short break before they are back in GLVC action as the Northern Kentucky Norse visit Knights Field for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 18.  First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
GAME 1: Bellarmine 3, St. Joesph's 2  (BOX SCORE)

In the opening 7-inning game, the Knights got solid pitching performances from starter Kyle Grana and reliever Justin Strohmeier as the Knights won 3-2 while the offense produced just just four base hits on the game.

Despite the lack of firepower, the Knights took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Michael Morrissette singled then advanced to third after the pitcher threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt.  Morrissette then scampered home on a wild pitch.

Bellarmine extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second by playing solid “small ball.”  After Sam Burke opened the inning getting hit by a pitch, Andy Gehr sacrificed him to second with a bunt.  Cody Scheler then followed with a bunt that he was able to beat out for a base hit while Burke scored all the way from second.  Cody Scheler's speed then helped pick up another run, when he was able to take second and third on the same wild pitch and score on Jared Forrest picked up the RBI with a sacrifice bunt.

St. Jospeh's picked up a run in the top of the third, then nearly tied it in the top of the fifth.  With runners on second and third, St. Joe third baseman Jake Roberts singled to center to score a run, but Bellarmine center fielder Cody Scheler gunned down the would-be tying run at the plate.

In the seventh, Grana surrendered a leadoff single, but Strohmeier came in retired the next three St. Joe's batters to earn his third save of the year. Grana, who struck out 10 and gave up just five hits, improved to 5-2 on the season.
 
GAME 2:  St. Joseph's 8, Bellarmine 7 (BOX SCORE)

After getting out to a 7-4 lead , Bellarmine's bats went silent and the Pumas took advantage of erratic pitching as St. Joe's came back to win 8-7.

Bellarmine banged out 11 hits in the first five innings, then the St. Joseph's pitching staff retired the final 12 Bellarmine batters of the game.  Meanwhile, the Knights were undone by walks and hit batsmen. 

Trailing 7-4, St. Joseph's led off the seventh by loading the bases on a single sandwiched around two bases on ball.  After a strike out and a solid single scored one of the runners, the Pumas tied the game with another walk and a fielder's choice. 

In the top of the ninth, Bellarmine pitchers hit the first three St. Joe's batters of the inning, and the Pumas brought home the eventual game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to center. 

The comeback by the Pumas overshadowed strong offensive performances for Morrissette, who was 3-for-five with 3 runs batted in and two runs scored, and Cody Scheler, who was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.  Roden added two RBI and two hits as he raised his team-leading hit total to 38 on the season.