Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo.--The Bellarmine University baseball team notched one of the program's biggest wins in knocking off Lewis University 13-1 on Saturday night in the NCAA Midwest Regional at Meador Park to advance the Knights into Sunday's NCAA Regional Finals against the Grand Valley State Lakers.

Tonight, Bellarmine got a huge effort from starting pitcher Curtis McCombs, who three seven innings of shutout baseball while allowing just three hits and two walks.  The right hander from Louisville also struck out eight of the 28 batters he faced. 

Meanwhile, the Knights' offense was rolling from the outset, scoring nine runs in the first two innings to provide a comfortable margin for McCombs.  

In the top of the first, Bellarmine took advantage of free passes and Lewis mistakes to score three runs on just one hit.  The next inning, Bellarmine plated six runs on just five hits as the Flyers committed two costly errors.

The Knights pummeled the Lewis pitching with 17 hits on the night with Michael Morrissette, Cole Metcalfe, and Graham Spencer all collecting three base knocks.  Spencer provided the exclamation point on the Knights' victory by supplying the 13th and final Bellarmine run with his second home run of the regional--a solo shot to left in the top of the seventh.

Kevin Herren pitched the final two innings for the Knights, giving up a run on three hits.

Bellarmine (32-22) entered the regional as the six seed in the six team field, and Lewis (33-18) was the tourney's No. 5 seed.

The win was Bellarmine's ninth in their last 11 games and propelled them into the regional finals for the third time in school history.  The Bellarmine teams in 1979 and 1980 each advanced to the regional final when only four teams made the regional field.

Tomorrow's first game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (noon CDT) start. Bellarmine must defeat Grand Valley twice to advance to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C.

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