LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine softball team split a doubleheader for the third straight day on Sunday, holding off Ohio Dominican 7-6 in the opener before falling 3-1 in game two.
In the opener, the long ball was a major factor with three round-trippers being slugged in the game. The first homer gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Knights answered with two "dingers" in the bottom half to take the lead.
The homers for Bellarmine came off the bats of
Samantha Smith and
Allison Woosley, who each smacked her first collegiate home run. All told in the second frame, the Knights scored four runs with
Ciara Incorvati and
Marlee Tevis also adding hits.
Ohio Dominican sliced the lead in half with a run in the fifth, but the Knights answered with three runs in the sixth to extend the advantage to 7-2. For Bellarmine in the sixth, Tevis and
Miranda Mader recorded doubles while Smith added a single and the Knights took advantage of a pair of Panther errors and a walk to plate their three runs.
The Panthers made a gallant comeback effort in the top of the seventh, with four runs on five hits. However,
Madeline Kurtz come on in relief of
Sabrina Fussenegger, and after surrendering a double, came up with the clutch strikeout to record the save.
In game two, the Knights managed just four base hits as Ohio Dominican's Cameron Barber starred for the Panthers both in the circle and at the plate. Barber hurled all seven innings allowing just one run and striking out 10 Bellarmine batters. On offense, she went 2-for-4 with a double a run scored and one RBI.
The Panthers got off to a fast start, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first while banging out four hits.
Bellarmine's lone run came in the fourth inning when the Knights connected for two of their four hits.
Alexa Foster led off with a single and came around to score on
Rachel Ayer's base hit.
Ohio Dominican ended the game's scoring with an unearned run in the top of the fifth.
A bright spot for the Knights was a solid pitching outing from
Alexis Sumner, who went six and a third innings without allowing an earned run.
The Knights move to an even 10-10 on the season with their next action scheduled—weather permitting—on Tuesday at Kentucky Wesleyan.
BOX SCORE (HTM) GAME 1
BOX SCORE (HTM) GAME 2