RENSSELAER, Ind.—The Bellarmine University baseball team stayed atop the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division standings today by sweeping a doubleheader from the 23
rd-ranked St. Joseph's Pumas today at Gil Hodges Field.
In game one, the Knights came out on top of a 10-6 decision behind a pair of homers by
Brady Pfaadt before taking the second game 2-1 powered by a
Zac Wiley roundtripper and a solid pitching outing by
Hunter Spencer.
Bellarmine improved to 21-11 overall and 8-2 in the GLVC while the Pumas slipped to 19-11 and 3-7 in league play.
The Knights, who have won eight of their last nine games, put up five runs in the top of the second inning in game one and never trailed as pitcher
Eddie Mathis had a solid start allowing three runs in six innings.
Helping power the big second inning for the Knights were doubles by Wiley and
Bobby Brokamp and an RBI single by
Drew Greenwood.
The host Pumas didn't go quietly in the first game, striking for three runs in the bottom of the eighth to get within a run at 7-6.
However, Bellarmine slammed the door shut in the top of the ninth when Wiley and Pfaadt both blasted solo homers and Greenwood drove in his third run of the game with his third single.
Will Birch came into to record the final four outs of the game for the Knights to earn his second save of the season.
Game two, scheduled for just seven innings, was more of a pitchers duel with Spencer and St. Joseph's Quinn Snarkis both tossing complete games.
Spencer didn't allow an earned run while surrendering just four hits and one walk.
Saint Joseph's took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when the Pumas smacked two of their four hits while a Bellarmine fielding error led to the score.
The Knights made their comeback in the fourth when
Alex Phillips led off with a single, stole second and came around to score on
Josh Finerty's grounder. Wiley then belted a homer to left that proved to be the difference.
Saint Joseph's tried to answer in the home half of the inning and put two aboard with a pair of singles, but Spencer closed with a flourish retiring the final 10 batters he faced.
The same two team will face off in another doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET).
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HTM BOX SCORE GAME 1
HTM BOX SCORE GAME 2