Editor's Note: Due to field conditions, the original schedule has been altered. The article below has been amended to reflect the new schedule.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Like many college students this time of year, the Bellarmine softball team is heading south for spring break. However, fun in the sun isn't the primary goal, the Knights have six games scheduled over four days.
Bellarmine will begin its spring break trip with four contests in the Columbus State University Classic in Columbus, Georgia. Then, will stop in Cleveland, Tennessee on Tuesday for a twin bill at Lee University.
On Saturday, the Knights take on a pair of Florida schools, meeting Barry University and Lynn University essentially in a doubleheader beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday's schedule currently calls for Bellarmine to square off against Coker College at 11 a.m. and conclude the "Classic" with King University at 1:30 p.m.
Bellarmine and Barry will open the weekend with the meeting being third all-time between the programs. The Buccaneers, who hail from Miami Shores and are members of the Sunshine State Conference, enter the Classic with an 8-13 record. Immediately following the Barry game it will be the Knights versus the Knights as Bellarmine faces off with the Lynn Knights, out of Boca Raton. The Sunshine State Conference team comes into the CSU Classic with a 9-10 record. Bellarmine and Lynn have met just twice previously, playing single games in 2009 and 2010.
Sunday's opponents both have met with a lot of success early in the 2019 season. Coker comes in 13-3, and the Cobras—out of Hartsville, South Carolina—were picked second in the South Atlantic Conference preseason poll. It will be the first-ever meeting between Bellarmine and Coker. Meanwhile, King has played just six games on the season, but the Bristol, Tennessee school has won all six. The Tornado tied with Limestone as the preseason favorites in the Conference Carolinas preseason coaches poll. Bellarmine and King have squared off twice previously, with the Knights sweeping a 2017 doubleheader to lead the all-time series 2-0.
The Bellarmine-Lee doubleheader on Tuesday will mark just the third and fourth games between the teams with the Knights and Flames splitting a doubleheader in the 2016 season. Lee, out of the Gulf South Conference, is 9-10 this season and will not play prior to its meeting with Bellarmine.
The Knights start the road trip 5-7 on the season, with just two home games. The remaining 10 contests have all been neutral site games, meaning the Lee doubleheader will mark their first true road contests.
Freshman
Sydney Oskin, who has appeared in nine of the 12 Bellarmine games, has opened her collegiate career quite well, sporting a .440 batting average on the season to lead the team. She also has been effective in six innings of work in the circle with a 2.33 earned run average.
Senior
Allison Woosley, meanwhile, is hitting at a .367 clip and leads the team in RBIs with eight on the season. The only other Knight hitting above .300 is freshman
Grace Werner, who is batting .364 with seven RBIs and five stolen bases.
The Bellarmine pitching staff has shared the 12 starts among four players with
Madeline Kurtz and
Sabrina Fussenegger getting four starts each,
Olivia Knies three and
Natalie Magnus starting once.
Live stats will be available for all games with webstream available for the Lee doubleheader. Check the Bellarmine website on game days for links.
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