EAST PEORIA, Ill. – After a full day of rain delays and rescheduling, the Bellarmine softball team finally took on the Truman State Bulldogs (30-17) in an elimination game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Sunday at Eastside Centre Field.  The Knights started the early morning game strong with two home runs, but ultimately TSU and the GLVC Freshman of the Year Christa Reisinger came out on top with a 6-3 win after nine innings.
 
The last meeting between TSU and BU led to extra innings as well, with the Knights coming up short in the eighth and losing by one.  Bellarmine concluded its season with an overall record of 33-26, including winning 12 of the last 14 home games. 
 
Similar to the Knights' second game in the GLVC Tournament, Tabby Shewmaker started off the scoring with a two-out, solo homer to left field in the bottom of the second. 
 
Ally Foster, another veteran, followed suit with a solo homer to the Knights' new found sweet spot in left field to give Bellarmine a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third.  The bomb gave Foster the RBI she needed to tie the school all-time RBI record at 138.
 
Truman State gained traction in the top of the fourth when leadoff batter Lex Van Nostrand doubled to right center, and Jamie Fowle followed up with a homer to center that tied the game at two.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs added to the score with a solo homer of their own out of Reisinger, which had the potential to win the game.  However, the Knights battled back in the bottom of the seventh.  Foster made her way to first base after watching four balls land in the catcher's glove out of the strike zone.  She advanced to second on Melissa Hammer's grounder to short.  Then Kelly Ely hit a big time single to right center that drove in Foster from second to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
 
Bellarmine came close in the bottom of the eighth after getting runners on first and second with just one out.  However, the Bulldogs recorded two straight outs to get out of the inning .  Truman found the answer in the ninth when Brooke VunCannon's sacrifice fly scored a runner from third.  Reisinger added two insurance runs with a two-run homer to left field to put the Bulldogs up by three.
 
Shewmaker led Bellarmine going 2-for-3 with an RBI and run of her own, including her third homer of the season.  Ely also went 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Foster finished 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs including a homer. 
 
Coming in as relief for Foster, Madeline Kurtz pitched four innings and was saddled with the loss after giving up three runs.
 
Amy Feie, Foster and Shewmaker finished their Bellarmine softball careers after four solid years of service.  Feie battled an injury all season, but made a comeback and contributed a season high two home runs to finish her career batting .205 with 32 hits, 26 runs, three homers.
 
Foster rewrote the Bellarmine record book in the pitching and batting categories.  She owns 12 records and is second in two categories.  Her senior season was most impressive after missing 13 games due to injury and still managing to lead the team in almost every category, batting .397 including 42 runs, 16 doubles, 18 homers and 43 RBIs.  Foster's career statistics feature eye-popping number as well, such as 158 runs, 46 doubles, 54 homers, a slugging percentage of .742, a pitching record of 64-26 and a 1.28 ERA.
 
After battling an injury her sophomore season, Shewmaker has stepped up for the Knights contributing a hot bat in the lineup.  She played a major role in the final games of the regular season and carried that momentum into the GLVC Tournament.  Shewmaker finished her career as a Knight batting .262 with 14 doubles, 12 homers, 54 RBIs and two perfect fielding percentage seasons.
 
BU 3, TSU 6 (BOX SCORE HTM)