WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Bellarmine softball team played two re-scheduled games on Saturday, falling to Ferris State 8-3, but coming back for a 2-1 victory over Ohio Dominican at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.
The Knights were originally scheduled to play in an event hosted by Southern Indiana this past weekend, but the games were cancelled due to wet conditions and weather. Many of the teams made alternate arrangements with games being moved northward, out of the rain and on artificial surface.
Bellarmine opened Saturday's play with Ferris State, a team the Knights defeated in BU's home-opener on Feb. 3. This time, it was the Bulldogs coming out on top as the Big Rapids, Michigan team jumped out to 7-0 advantage before the Knights finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning.
Sabrina Fussenegger led off with a triple and
Grace Werner's infield single drove in Bellarmine's first run.
Rachel Ayer delivered Bellarmine's other RBI with her single.
Ferris State answered with another run in the bottom of the sixth after the Bulldog leadoff batter smacked a triple and came on a subsequent ground out.
The Knights struck for one more run as
Sydney Oskin, Fussenegger, and Werner all singled, but the rally ended with the Bulldogs taking an 8-3 victory.
Bellarmine actually outhit FSU 11-9 in the contest with Fussenegger, Werner,
Allison Woosley and Oskin all having multi-hit games.
The second game of the day was a low-scoring affair that Bellarmine won in the first extra inning.
The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Woosley singled home Fussenegger, but Ohio Dominican came right back in the top of the second to tie it. The Panthers drew a leadoff walk and after a sacrifice and a single, the game was knotted at one apiece and remained that way through the regulation seven innings.
Playing under the international tie breaker rules, a runner was placed on second to open the eighth inning. Ohio Dominican then sacrificed the runner to third. After a walk put runners on the corners with just one out, Bellarmine pitcher
Madeline Kurtz came up with a big strikeout before the Panther catcher lined out to third to end the potential rally.
In Bellarmine's half of the 8th, Fussenegger started on second, and Werner came through with a single to put runners on first and third with no one out. Shortstop
Hannah Webb then delivered the game-winner by smoking a ball to the fence to score Fussenegger easily.
Kurtz pitched all eight innings for the Knights, giving up four hits and allowing just one run.
Bellarmine moves to 5-7 on the season and returns to action on March 2, when they'll be playing in Georgia at the Columbus State Classic.
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