OAKLAND CITY, Ind.—On the day that Ally Foster was named one of 25 finalists for national player of the year, she went out proved why she deserved the recognition by hurling her second career no-hitter while facing the minimum and smacking her 16th homer of the year to tie the BU single season record. Along the way, Bellarmine swept a doubleheader from the home standing Mighty Oaks of Oakland City by scores of 4-0 and 13-2.  

Bellarmine improves to 30-22 on the season while the Mighty Oaks fall to 10-17.  The Knights close out the regular season at home this weekend with Great Lakes Valley Conference foes Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday and Maryville University on Sunday.  Both doubleheaders are scheduled for a noon first pitch.

GAME 1:  BU 4, OCU 0 (HTM BOX SCORE)

Bellarmine got all the runs they would need in the top of the first after Foster drew a leadoff walk, Melissa Hammer singled, and Rachel Fox doubled them both home.

The Knights tacked on a run in the fifth when Foster got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and added another run in the top of seventh when Olivia Russell homered to left.

Meanwhile, Foster was chopping down the Mighty Oaks in impressive fashion. In fact, the only OCU batter to reach base was first baseman Megan Klees, who was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the fifth. Klees was later doubled off first when BU first baseman Tabby Shewmaker snagged a line drive and stepped on the bag for the double play. Foster finished with 10 strikeouts in recording her 20th win of the season.

Russell paced the Knights at the plate with her 2-for-4 performance including the home run.

GAME 2: BU 13, OCU 2 (HTM BOX SCORE)

The Knights again scored two runs in the top of the first, with Foster blasting a solo shot to center field to open the game. Fox followed with a single and later came around to score on Miranda Mader's sacrifice fly to right.

The Mighty Oaks finally got their first hit of the day in the bottom of the first, but BU's Madeline Kurtz pitched around the one-out single.

Bellarmine extended its lead to 5-0 in the top of the third on a three-run homer by freshman Megan Bretz.  The Knights tacked on another score in the fourth after Allison Woosley led off with a single and came around score on an RBI ground out by Fox.

The host Mighty Oaks got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, plating two runs on the strength of a single and two doubles.
The Knights then exploded for seven runs in the top of the seventh. The big blows were a two-run double by Kelly Ely and the first career home run by Mader that also drove in two.

Fox finished game two with three base hits, while Foster, Ely, Mader and Woosley had two apiece.

Kurtz recorded a complete game to chalk up her eighth win of the season. She surrendered just five hits while striking out four and not issuing a walk.