LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University baseball relief corps had a relaxing day in the bullpen compliments of senior left-hander
Eddie Mathis and senior right-hander
Kyle Beach.
Each of the veteran pitching duo tossed a complete game Saturday as the Knights swept visiting Truman State by scores of 4-1 and 15-2 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
Bellarmine (22-16, 13-10 GLVC) has now won three straight games after taking both from the Bulldogs (5-26, 5-18). Mathis moved into sole possession of second place on the program's all-time pitching wins list.
Game 1: Bellarmine 4, Truman State 1
This was largely a pitchers' duel between Mathis and Truman State starter Connor McKenna.
Mathis (6-1) ultimately won the matchup, firing a 9.0-inning complete game while allowing one earned run on seven hits. The southpaw struck out a season-high 11 batters against zero walks. The performance marked Mathis' fourth complete game of the year. He notched his 24th career win, which is just one shy of all-time leader Willie Yates (1975-79).
McKenna kept Bellarmine's high-powered offense at bay. Sophomore third baseman
Jacob Mulcahy doubled and scored on a single by senior first baseman
Tyler Neeley in the second, and Mulcahy added an RBI single in the sixth for a 2-0 lead.
Truman State cut the lead in half with a solo homer in the seventh, but Bellarmine answered with two key insurance runs in the eighth. Senior right fielder
Zac Wiley and junior catcher
Chris Gambert roped consecutive doubles, with Wiley scoring and then Gambert racing home on a wild pitch for a 4-1 advantage.
Gambert and Mulcahy both registered two hits, and Wiley and junior designated hitter
Deylen Miley reached base three times each.
Game 2: Bellarmine 15, Truman State 2
Beach (3-1) followed Mathis with Bellarmine's second complete-game effort of the day. The Knights reached the 10-run rule so the righty went 7.0 innings, finishing with eight strikeouts while allowing one earned run on just four hits.
Offensively, Bellarmine's plate discipline was perhaps its most important quality. The Bulldogs struggled with their control and the Knights didn't help them at all, drawing 11 walks in their six innings at the plate.
The biggest highlight came in an eight-run fourth when Mulcahy launched a grand slam to left center for his first home run of the season. He recently returned after missing significant game action due to injury. Mulcahy went 3 for 4 with six RBIs.
Gambert and Mulcahy drove in runs in the first as Bellarmine gained a 2-0 lead, and senior center fielder
Alex Phillips made it 3-0 in the second with an RBI double. The Knights went down in order in the third but then poured in eight runs in the fourth.
In addition to Mulcahy's grand slam, senior first baseman
Jacob Pendred laced an RBI single. Those were the only two hits for the Knights in the frame; they did a lot of the damage by drawing six walks.
Phillips and Pendred followed Mulcahy with two hits apiece.
The series will conclude with a single game at noon (ET) Sunday at Knights Field.
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GAME 1 BOX SCORE (HTM)
GAME 2 BOX SCORE (HTM)
