JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- With a roster full of fresh faces, the Bellarmine University softball team went on the road to open the 2012 season and split with the Carson-Newman Eagles, dropping the opener 7-2, before coming back and winning the finale 6-2.

A huge split for the Knights (1-1), who feature eight freshmen on the roster, as Carson-Newman (3-1) has reached the NCAA Tournament the last seven seasons and regularly challenges for the South Atlantic Conference Championship.

Game 1 Carson-Newman 7 Bellarmine 2
Showing poise in their first collegiate game, the young Knights squashed a Carson-Newman rally in the bottom of the first, as freshman Alicia Miller struck out Shelby Robertson swinging, while fellow rookie Scarlett Powers gunned down a runner trying to steal second to end the inning to end the inning.

In the second, Kelsey Hicks made the most of her first collegiate at bat, doubling down the right field line to bring home Madi Ratliff for the early 1-0 lead.

But Bellarmine's youth would catch up to them in the fourth as the host Eagles would plate all seven runs to put the game out of reach. The damage could have been minimal, but an error by Miller with two outs extended the inning when Carson-Newman scored five of the seven runs.

Junior Casey Cleary would score in the top of the sixth, but Bellarmine was not able to get any closer. Miller (0-1) would take the loss for Bellarmine going 6.0 innings and giving up two earned runs. Mary Shealy (3-0), who led Div.-II in wins last season, earned the victory for Carson-Newman, pitching the entire 7.0 innings, giving up one earned run while striking out four.


Game 2 Bellarmine 6 Carson-Newman 2
In the finale, Coach Renee Hicks would lean on her veterans to carry the team as seniors Amanda Meyer and Cynthia Brown would both factor heavily into the victory.

Carson-Newman's Sara Kelly would break a scoreless tie in the third inning, sending a towering shot over the centerfield fence to take the 1-0 lead.

Bellarmine would respond with a four-run fourth inning that included a double by Brown that brought Powers and Kayla Padgett across the plate. The speedy Brown would capitalize on an error by the Eagles after an attempted throw went off the second basemen's foot and into left field, allowing Brown to make it all the way around the bases. 

Megan Murdoch and Hicks would both tack on RBI's in the sixth to propel the Knights to a 6-2 lead. The Eagles had one more charge left in them in the bottom of the seventh, placing runners on the corners with just one out. But Meyer would buckle down and force the next two batters to fly out to center field to end the game.

Meyer (1-0) would pitch a gem for the Knights, going the full 7.0 innings, giving up just two earned runs while striking out eight to earn the win. Shealy (3-1) would be tagged with the loss for the Eagles, being relieved after 5.2 inning where she gave up five earned runs on nine hits.

Bellarmine will hit the road next weekend, playing four games in Dahlonega, Ga. as part of the North Georgia Loyal Blue Classic.