OWENSBORO, Ky.—The Bellarmine University baseball team split a doubleheader with Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Kentucky Wesleyan this afternoon at Panther Park as the host Panthers took the opener 5-1 before the Knights' offense came alive in game two to stake the visitors to a 14-6 victory.
Today's doubleheader was a makeup of a twinbill that was rained out at Bellarmine on April 1. The split keeps Bellarmine's record an even .500 both overall (21-21) and in GLVC play (13-13). Kentucky Wesleyan moves to 16-26 on the season with a 10-18 conference mark.
The Knights now travel to Romeoville, Illinois for a crucial 4-game set with Lewis on Saturday and Sunday. Bellarmine currently has the dubious distinction of being the first team left out of the GLVC postseason tourney.
Currently the Knights are fourth in the East Division and only the top three finishers get into the 8-team tourney. The remaining five teams will be the top two West Division teams along with three wild cards (best in-conference record of the remaining teams). Based on records through today's play, the wild card spots would go to Drury (16-10), Missouri-St. Louis (16-12), and Quincy (14-12).
GAME 1: KWC 5, BU 1 (BOX SCORE)
Kentucky Wesleyan jumped out to an early 4-0 lead then rode an outstanding pitching effort from Jon Wandling to win the 7-inning opener by the final score of 5-1.
The Knights were limited to just four hits on the game, and their lone run was unearned as Bellarmine catcher Kyle Roden led off the top of the seventh by advancing to second on an error on KWC third baseman Luis Mila. After BU right fielder Philip Leopold singled, Roden scored when Andy Gehr hit into a double play.
GAME 2: BU 14, KWC 6 (BOX SCORE)
The Knights got out of the gates better in game two, scoring twice in the opening frame on a Roden sacrifice fly and a Leopold triple. The Panthers had an answer in the bottom half of the inning, however, with four runs including a 3-run homer by catcher Mark Hagerdorn.
Bellarmine kept their composure and just kept chipping away with a run in the third to close the gap to just one, then took the lead in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs on three hits and a KWC error.
Again, the Panthers had an answer, tying it with a run in the bottom half of the inning and taking the lead in the fifth on a run without registering a hit.
Bellarmine then took command in the top of the sixth. After tying the game on a pair of singles sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt, Kal Scheler put the Knights ahead for good with a 3-run home run.
The offense kept rolling for Bellarmine in the seventh with three runs as Michael Morrissette delivered a 2-run single and Leopold went deep for his fourth homer of the year.
Bellarmine finished off the game's scoring in the top of the eighth when Samuel Burke smacked the Knights' third bomb of the game with one aboard to push the BU lead to 18-6.
Meanwhile, the Bellarmine pitching staff was putting on an outstanding relief effort. Starting in the fifth inning, Coach Matt Tyner trotted out a new pitcher every inning for one inning of work, and all five hurlers came through for the first year Bellarmine skipper as they combined to finish the game by no-hitting the Panthers the final five innings.
For the game, the Knights banged out 18 hits—their second highest total of the year. Morrissette led the way, going 4-for-6 with two runs scored and two knocked in.
