LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Junior second baseman Alex Ralph lifted a sacrifice fly to drive in the game-winning run in the ninth inning as the Bellarmine University baseball team followed a 10-1 loss to Southern Indiana with a tense 4-3 victory Saturday at Knights Field in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

Bellarmine (14-10, 2-2 GLVC) and USI (9-11, 2-2) split the four-game series. The first game on both days was lopsided, first in favor of the Knights and then the Screaming Eagles. The tail end each day was hotly contested.

In Saturday's finale, the score was knotted at 3-3 entering the bottom of the ninth. The final frame started out with great promise for Bellarmine, as freshman Bobby Brokamp drilled a triple to center field that appeared to glance off the glove of USI's Buddy Johnson as he raced back toward the wall.

After inducing a ground out, reliever Tyler Hagedorn (0-2) intentionally walked junior left fielder Griffin Neuer and sophomore third baseman Josh Finerty to load the bases and set up a potential double play or force out at home. Ralph didn't oblige, lofting a deep fly to center that scored Brokamp with the winning run.

Brokamp, Finerty and freshman right fielder Casey Womack had two hits apiece in the second game. The Knights went ahead 3-2 in the seventh when Womack broke for home and slid in safely ahead of the throw from second, which Brokamp had just stolen.

Sophomore designated hitter Zac Wiley had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and tied it at 2 with another RBI in the sixth. Wiley (1-0) earned the win after facing — and striking out — one batter.

Sophomore left-hander Alex Phillips started and allowed two earned runs in 5.0 innings. Senior right-hander Will Birch pitched 2.1 innings and yielded one run — none earned — before junior right-hander Yancey Pritchett tossed 1.0 scoreless inning.

Bellarmine showed resilience after an entirely forgettable opener. USI pounded out 15 hits and the Knights only tallied four against Lucas Barnett (2-0), who threw a 7.0-inning complete game. Duncan Amrein (1-2) took the loss for Bellarmine. Finerty, Ralph, Wiley and Brokamp had one hit each.

Bellarmine plays a pair of doubleheaders next weekend at McKendree.

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