KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – In a battle with Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Truman State, the Bellarmine University softball team split with the Bulldogs on Sunday at Truman Softball Park.  After falling behind 1-0 the Knights stormed back in the game one for a 4-1 win, scoring three of their four runs in the top of the fourth.  In game two, Bellarmine's battle fell short in the eighth inning when TSU broke the tie with a walk off single to left field to win 4-3.
 
The Knights (28-22, 17-9 GLVC) travel to Oakland City University for a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday starting at 4:30 p.m. and then return home for the final weekend of the regular season.  Bellarmine will face University of Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday and celebrate the seniors on Sunday against Maryville.  Both doubleheaders will begin at noon.
 
Game 1 BU 4, TSU 1 (HTM BOX SCORE)
 
The Knights found themselves behind in the bottom of the third when Truman State smacked a double to score a runner from third, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
 
Bellarmine immediately answered back in the top of the fourth.  Olivia Russell drew a walk, and Amy Feie reached on a fielder's choice.  Both advanced a base off a wild pitch.  Another fielder's choice landed Erica Knollman on first, advancing to second on the throw, while Russell and Feie scored.  Rachel Fox's single was more than enough for Knollman to round third and make it home to put the Knights up 3-1.
 
Russell was hit by a pitch in the top of the sixth, and Kaitlin Barbiere stepped in to pinch run.  A Knollman single though the left side advanced the runner to second.  Melissa Hammer connected for another single, loading the bases as Ally Foster stepped to the plate.  A shot up the middle drove in Barbiere for the final run of the game. 
 
The Bulldogs managed two hits in the final two innings, but were unable to score.
 
Foster, who improved to 19-7 in the circle, contributed to the Knights on defense and offense, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and striking out four batters.  Hammer went 2-for-3 at the plate.
 
Game 2 BU 3, TSU 4 (HTM BOX SCORE)
 
Leading off for Bellarmine, Fox trotted to first after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second on Hammer's groundout.  Next up, Foster drew her first walk of the game.  Marlee Tevis' single to right drove in Fox and Foster to give the Knights a 2-0 lead.
 
Truman matched the score in the bottom of the first to tie it up at two.  The Knights went back to work in the top of the third, with a leadoff double to left from Kelly Ely.  She advanced to third on Feie's sacrifice bunt.  With Fox on first after drawing a walk, Hammer's single to short pushed Ely across the plate to regain the lead. 
 
The Bulldogs were able to knock in another run in the bottom of the third to tie the game again.  Madeline Kurtz stepped into the circle for Foster in the bottom of the fifth.  However, neither Bellarmine nor Truman State were able to break the tie as the game headed to extra innings. 
 
The Knights went three up and three down in the top of the eighth, putting TSU back in the driver's seat.  Valerie Schmidt came in to pinch run for Ashley Murphy after her leadoff single.  A sacrifice bunt and another single allowed Schmidt to make it home for the win.
 
Kurtz was saddled with the loss, striking out two batters in 3.1 innings pitched.  Tevis led Bellarmine going 1-for-1 with an RBI, while Hammer went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Foster was walked in all four of her plate appearances.