Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Bellarmine University baseball team plated four runs in the top of the 12^th inning and took a 7-4 victory over the St. Joseph Pumas in the NCAA Midwest Regional today at Meador Park.

Bellarmine's Michael Morrissette opened the top of the 12th with a routine grounder to short, but Nic Sampognaaro's throwing error (the game's first and only error) allowed Morrissette to reach second.  Jes Staples followed a perfectly executed bunt down the third base line that went for a hit and Bellarmine put runners on the corners with no outs.  

The Pumas then intentionally walked Austin Crutcher to load the bases, and on the first pitch to Phillip Leopold, a passed ball allowed Morrissette to come home with the go-ahead run.  After running the count full and fouling off two pitches, Leopold came through with a sharp single to center field that plated both Staples and Crutcher to pull ahead 6-3. 

The Knights tacked on one more run as Cole Metcalfe sacrificed Leopold to second and Nick Hladek knocked him in with a single to left.

In the bottom of the inning, Bellarmine closer Justin Strohmeier came on to pitch his third inning.  The fifth year senior allowed a hit and a run, but successfully closed out the game to pick up his first collegiate victory. 

The Knights got a huge effort from its defense, which played error-free.  The left side of BU's infield was particularly impressive with shortstop Justin Eberenz and third baseman Metcalfe turning in highlight-worthy plays.

The Bellarmine pitching staff also was solid with starter Jason Sterrett going seven strong innings while surrendering three runs and six hits and striking out six.  Freshman Evan McNair turned in another quality relief appearance with two innings of shutout work, and Strohmeier went the final three innings giving up just one hit and one run.

Offensively, the Knights continued to show production up and down the lineup with eight different player collecting base hits as the team totaled 15 knocks on the day. Leopold was today's leader going 3-for-6 with four RBIs. 

The Pumas, the No. 4 seed of the tournament, were eliminated after their second straight loss in the regional and fall to 30-20 overall.

The sixth-seeded Knights improve to 31-21 on the year and have now won six games in a row.  They will face the winner of the Lewis-Grand Valley game at noon CDT (1 p.m. EDT) tomorrow.

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