LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If nothing else, Bellarmine University's four-game series with Saint Joseph's proved that the old saying of "baseball is a game of inches" will last as long as the game does.

On Sunday at Knights Field in the tail end of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader, sophomore catcher Brady Pfaadt arrived at first a split second ahead of a potential inning-ending double play as the winning run came across in a 6-5 victory over the Pumas that completed the sweep. It was the second straight day in which the Knights won on a walk-off on a "bang-bang" play at first.

Junior left-hander Michael Messier was dominant in the opener, firing a complete-game, three-hit shutout in a 5-0 triumph. Bellarmine (17-15, 8-4 GLVC) won three of the four games in the series against Saint Joseph's (18-16, 6-6), and the Knights have been victorious in seven of their last eight GLVC contests.

In Saturday's second game, Bellarmine scored four runs in the last inning while rallying to a 5-4 win. The game-winning run came across as freshman Zac Wiley beat out a two-out infield single deep down the third-base line on a close play at first. Sunday's finale was similar, only this time, with one out and runners on first and third in the ninth inning, Pfaadt hit a grounder to second base.

The Pumas attempted an inning-ending double play. They got the force out at second base, but Pfaadt beat the throw to first by a whisker. The game-winning RBI was the fourth RBI for Pfaadt in the game.

Relief pitching was critical for Bellarmine in the tail end. Junior right-hander Will Birch (1-0) tossed 3.0 scoreless innings of relief in earning the win. Junior right-hander Griffin Caron, senior right-hander John Hakemoller and Birch combined for 5.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Thanks to Messier (5-3), starting pitching was all the Knights needed in the first game. He struck out seven, walked three and allowed only three hits in 7.0 innings pitched. The shutout marked Messier's third complete game of the season.

He received all the run support he required when sophomore left fielder Griffin Neuer doubled leading off the fourth and scored on senior third baseman Cole Metcalfe's single. Wiley then notched an RBI single.

The Knights piled up three more runs in the sixth. The big inning started when Wiley and sophomore shortstop Drew Greenwood both singled with one out. Freshman right fielder Alex Phillips followed with a sacrifice fly, sophomore second baseman Trevor Lines added an RBI double and senior center fielder Jes Staples delivered an RBI single.

In the first game, Staples, Neuer and Wiley each had two hits.

In the second game, Bellarmine trailed 5-1 in the top of the fifth before Greenwood lifted a sacrifice fly in the bottom half and Pfaadt pounded a two-run double to the opposite field to tie the game at 5-5.

The dramatic play in the ninth was set up when Metcalfe led off with an infield single and advanced to second on junior first baseman Nick Wright's sacrifice bunt. After a single by Greenwood, Metcalfe scored the game-winning run on Pfaadt's fielder's choice that he narrowly beat out at first on the double-play attempt.

In the tail end, Staples, Metcalfe, Wright, Greenwood and sophomore designated hitter Alex Ralph tallied two hits apiece.

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GAME 1 BOX SCORE (HTM)
GAME 2 BOX SCORE (HTM)