Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 OWENSBORO, Ky.—The Bellarmine Knights baseball team split their Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Kentucky Wesleyan today, dropping the opener 4-1 and winning game two 4-2.

The Knights move to 18-12 in the GLVC and are 22-19 overall.  The Panthers slip to 15-29, 9-23 GLVC.

As Bellarmine moves into their final week of the regular season, the Knights are well-positioned to nab one of the eight postseason GLVC Championship slots.  Currently third in the East Division, BU is sixth overall, and if the conference season ended today, they would claim the first wild card spot. 

Before the Knights close their GLVC season with a four-game set against Southern Indiana this coming Friday through Sunday, Bellarmine will get a stern test from the Division I Butler Bulldogs, who will visit Knights Field on Tuesday at 3 p.m. 

The game will pit a lot of familiar faces against one another as Bellarmine Head Coach Matt Tyner is former Butler assistant, and Bellarmine Assistant Coach Brandon Tormoehlen was a catcher for the Bulldogs in his playing days.  Current Bellarmine catcher Nick Hladek is a Butler transfer.

GAME 1 RECAP (BOX SCORE): 

The host Panthers broke open a 1-1 game with three runs in the bottom of fifth to take control of the opener, which was a scheduled seven inning contest. 

Bellarmine starter Ben Fuchs went four solid innings but gave up back to back singles with one out in the fifth, and the normally reliable Ryan Dixon was called in from the bullpen.  The sophomore right hander—who entered the game with a sub-1.00 earned run average—surrendered two walks, a single and a wild pitch, and the BU defense was charged with two errors as the Panthers crossed the plate three times in the fifth inning and took the 4-1 lead.

The Knights' lone run came in the fourth inning, when Graham Spencer connected for a triple and was driven in with a grounder to the right side by Cole Metcalfe. Bellarmine managed just six hits against KWC pitchers Chaz Simpson and Noah Boswell.

GAME 2 RECAP (BOX SCORE): 

Bellarmine opened game two with a two-run first inning and never trailed as solid pitching helped the Knights salvage a split with a 4-2 win.

Michael Morrissette led off the game with a single and moved all the way to third on Jes Staples' sacrifice bunt.  Another sacrifice scored Morrissette as Austin Crutcher's fly ball to right was deep enough to allow the Bellarmine first baseman to scamper home.  The Knights then used the power game to score another run as Graham Spencer smacked an RBI single to plate Phillip Leopold, who had doubled.

The Panthers cut into the Bellarmine lead in the bottom of the second after two singles and a walk loaded the bases and KWC's Max Aubrey delivered a sac fly. 

Kentucky Wesleyan drew even in the third inning when Ray Lucas drew a lead-off walk and stole second, which put in position to score when center fielder Ray Delvalle singled. 

Bellarmine reclaimed the lead with two more runs in the top of the fifth.  After Justin Eberenz and Morrissette singled, Staples drew a walk to load the bases.  A grounder to second base off Crutcher's bat scored Eberenz, and Morrissette scored a play later when KWC's Josh Vance committed an error at short.

From that point, both offenses were silenced as BU and KWC combined for just two hits in the final four and a half innings.

Curtis McCombs took the hill for Bellarmine in game two, and had a solid start giving up two runs in five innings of work.  He gave way to Austin Warner, who came on to start the sixth.  The freshman lefty allowed just one base runner in his three innings of work, and senior closer Justin Strohmeier came in and worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his sixth save of the year.