LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University softball team was swept by scores of 8-5 and 12-1 by Illinois Springfield as the Knights opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play Saturday at Knights Field.
Bellarmine (11-12, 0-2 GLVC) scored twice in the first inning of the opener, but that was the only inning on the day where the Knights plated more than one run in a frame. Illinois Springfield (13-11, 2-0), meanwhile, had a four-run inning in the first game and a seven-run inning in the second that helped push the Prairie Stars to the sweep.
Game 1: UIS 8, Bellarmine 5
After Illinois Springfield scored twice in the first on a two-run homer, Bellarmine answered with two runs in the bottom half. Junior pitcher
Sabrina Fussenegger led off with a double to center, freshman right fielder
Grace Werner beat out an infield single and freshman shortstop
Hannah Webb drove them both in with a single down the right-field line.
It was a highly encouraging start, but Bellarmine couldn't sustain it. Those ended up being three of the Knights' seven hits.
However, Bellarmine still produced enough offense to win. The defense let the Knights down, as only three of Illinois Springfield's eight runs were earned. An error extended the Prairie Stars' third inning, and they capitalized with four runs, all unearned, to take an 8-2 lead.
Bellarmine would claw back. Junior first baseman
Samantha Smith led off the third by cranking her team-best fourth homer of the season. Junior second baseman
Rachel Ayer added an RBI single in the fifth and Smith ripped an RBI double in the sixth, but the Knights were retired in order in the seventh as Jaycee Craver overcame a shaky start to toss a complete game.
Smith went 2 for 2 and, along with Webb, had two RBIs. Sophomore right-hander
Olivia Knies threw 4.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Game 2: UIS 12, Bellarmine 1
This one got away from the Knights fairly quickly as Illinois Springfield scored four runs in the second to take a 5-0 lead. The Prairie Stars put it away with a seven-run fourth that included a grand slam by Ali Bortness.
Junior third baseman
Paige Werner provided Bellarmine a highlight with her first collegiate home run, a solo shot in the fifth. Ayer singled in the second inning for the Knights' only other hit as UIS' Payton Long recorded the Prairie Stars' second complete-game win of the day.
Bellarmine hosts McKendree in a doubleheader starting at noon (ET) Sunday.
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GAME 1 BOX SCORE (HTM)
GAME 2 BOX SCORE (HTM)
