LOUISVILLE, Ky.—By looking at the final scores from Bellarmine's Great Lakes Valley Conference softball doubleheader against Truman State at Knights field on Sunday, it appears the teams were playing the first team to seven wins. In the opening game, Truman State took a 7-5 victory before the Knights pulled out 7-6 win on a walk-off, bases loaded single by junior catcher Ciara Incorvati in the bottom of the seventh.
In the opener, the Knights drew first blood with two runs in the bottom of the third. After Sabrina Fussenegger was hit by a pitch and Lillie Nitzken singled, Paige Dabney followed with double to right to drive in Fussenegger. Tevis then drove a deep fly ball to center that allowed Nitzken to score.
The lead was short lived with the Bulldogs tying it in the top of the fourth. Christa Reisinger, the 2017 GLVC Player of the Year, led off the frame with a bunt single, then stole second base. Ashley Murphy then looped a single into short right field that allowed Reisinger to score with Murphy advancing to second on the throw. A sacrifice bunt and another single led to the second run of the inning to knot the score at two apiece.
Bellarmine re-claimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Rachel Ayer led off with a single then was advanced to third with a sacrifice bunt and a single. Ayer then scored on a wild pitch.
The top of the sixth proved to be Bellarmine's un-doing with the Bulldogs scoring five runs on four hits, aided by four free passes--three walks and a hit batter.
Trailing by four runs heading into the last inning, Bellarmine made it interesting by plating a pair of runs to make the final 7-5.
Nitzken turned in a 4-for-4 performance at the plate with Ayer also recording a multi-hit game by going 2-for-3.
While the first game was more "small ball," game two was more "long ball," with four home runs accounting for 10 of the 13 runs scored.
All six of Truman State's runs came courtesy of the "big fly." Morgan McMahan lifted a towering shot that clanged off the bleachers in left field to score three in the first inning, and Reisinger showed her power with a three-run blast in the third.
Bellarmine kept pace in the first inning with Ayer ripping a double down the left field line and Nitzken advancing her to third with a squibber off the end of her bat that went for a single. Marlee Tevis then grounded out to shortstop with Ayer scoring on the play. Sophomore left fielder Allison Woosley then rocketed her third homer of the season over the fence in left center to make the score 3-3 after one inning.
After the Bulldogs reclaimed the on Reisinger's bomb in the third, the Knights clawed back to within one run on Fussenegger's first collegiate homer in the fifth. It was two-run shot that plated Ayer, who had singled in front over her.
Still trailing 6-5 heading into the last inning, Fussenegger led off the seventh by drawing a walk on a 10-pitch at-bat then advancing to second on a grounder by Nitzken. Tevis singled up the middle to put runners on the corners with just one out. Tevis then stole second without drawing a throw from the Truman catcher. Woosely then hit a grounder to second and Truman threw home trying to cut down Fussenegger at the plate, but she beat the throw to tie the game at six.
With runners again on the corners and just one out, Bellarmine swiped second again without drawing a throw. Truman then walked Paige Dabney on four straight pitches to load the bases for Incorvati, who stroked a 1-2 offering from Bulldog pitcher Alyssa Hajduk into right center for a single to drive in the winning run.
The split moves Bellarmine to 14-24 on the season and 5-15 in league play while Truman is now 21-15, 10-10 in the GLVC.
Bellarmine hits the road for a pair of doubleheaders this coming week. On Saturday the Knights face Drury with Sunday's foe being Rockhurst. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 p.m. (EDT) starts.
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BOX SCORE (HTM) GAME 1
BOX SCORE (HTM) GAME 2
