ALLENDALE, Mich. --- The Bellarmine University softball team's first trip to the NCAA Tournament was met with a rude welcome on Friday as Ashland University downed the Knights 2-1 behind a dominating performance from pitcher Emlyn Knerem.

Knerem , the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, gave up just one hit and struck out 17 in the opening round of the NCAA Midwest Regional hosted by Grand Valley State University.

The Knights appeared doomed from the opening at-bat with Knerem striking out eight of the first ten batters of the game, the only blemish being a walk to Kaitlyn Morley in the second inning. Meanwhile, Bellarmine's Alicia Miller was equally as efficient, albeit not as dominating, giving up just one hit in the first three innings.

After Knerem rang up her ninth strikeout of the game to start the fourth inning, Megan Murdoch broke up the scoreless tie by hitting her 14th home run of the season. The solo shot also makes the junior shortstop the all-time leader for home runs in a career, giving her 31 in three seasons in a Bellarmine uniform.

Murdoch's home run was the only mistake Knerem made in the game, retiring 10 of the next 11 batters to pick up her 28th win of the season.

The Eagles scored both of their runs in the fifth inning on a pair of singles.Both runs could have been adverted, but an error by the Knights gave the Eagles an extra opportunity, one they would take full advantage of. The damage could have been worse but centerfielder Cynthia Brown threw out AU's Cayla Seidler at the plate to end the inning.

Miller takes the loss for the Knights, tossing 5.0 innings, giving up five hits and two unearned runs.Senior Amanda Meyer came in for relief in the sixth and struck out three while giving up a pair of hits.

Bellarmine will now look to regroup as the format of the tournament double-elimination. The Knights will now take on the loser between St. Joseph's and host Grand Valley State tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game.


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