OZARK, Mo. — The No. 24 Bellarmine University baseball team had no problem with the set-up. The finish was a different story.

On Sunday at U.S. Baseball Park in a de facto Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament semifinal, Bellarmine couldn't capitalize on golden scoring opportunities in both the eighth and ninth innings in a wrenching 6-5 loss to Quincy that eliminated the Knights.

The NCAA Tournament selection show is scheduled for 10 (ET) tonight. Bellarmine (37-17) entered the GLVC Tournament ranked second in the Midwest Region and went 3-2 at the event. There are eight spots available in the regional.

Quincy (38-16) advanced to meet Indianapolis in the GLVC championship game. Bellarmine's absence from the title contest could largely be attributed to an inability to take advantage of prime scoring chances in the eighth and ninth innings.

Quincy, the GLVC West's two-seed, rallied to take a 6-5 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth, but the East's second-seeded Knights were back in business after senior catcher Brady Pfaadt led off the bottom half with a walk against Hawks reliever Alex Pribyl, and freshman designated hitter Matt Higgins cranked a double off the right-field wall. The promising scenario fizzled out after the next three hitters for Bellarmine fouled out, grounded out to third and grounded out to shortstop.

Bellarmine got itself in great position again in the ninth against newly inserted Cole Crawford. Junior right fielder Zac Wiley drew a leadoff walk, and senior left fielder Griffin Neuer swatted a single to right center to set up runners at first and third with no outs. The Knights followed with a strikeout and then the Hawks got a tag out at home plate on an attempted squeeze bunt.

With the bases loaded following a walk to Pfaadt, Higgins battled before roping a line drive, but its path was in a fortuitous direction for the Hawks as it zoomed right at the second baseman for the final out.

For the entirety of the GLVC Tournament, Bellarmine got quality starting pitching. In the team's finale, junior right-hander Kyle Beach tossed 7.1 strong innings — all five Knights starters went 7.1 frames or more — and allowed five earned runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Matt Hilmes plated the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth with a two-run single against junior left-hander Willie Poe (0-1).

Bellarmine built a 4-1 lead after three innings behind a three-run third. The Knights did all their damage with two outs as senior second baseman Alex Ralph, Pfaadt and Higgins put together consecutive RBI singles. Quincy tied it up with a three-run fifth, but Bellarmine went ahead 5-4 after a Ralph sacrifice fly in the bottom half.

Junior third baseman Josh Finerty went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored for Bellarmine. Neuer and Higgins added two hits each.

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