LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Not only did
Alex Phillips keep Truman State in the ballpark, the senior left-hander kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard entirely.
The same could not be said of TSU's fortunes against the Bellarmine University offense.
Phillips fired a complete-game shutout and the Knights launched four home runs in stomping Truman State 12-0 Sunday in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Saint Xavier High School.
Bellarmine (23-16, 14-10 GLVC) swept the three-game series against Truman State (5-27, 5-19). The Knights' pitching was dominant, with Phillips accounting for the pitching staff's third straight complete game.
Phillips moved to 3-0 and tallied his second complete game of the season. The southpaw struck out nine and allowed three hits over 7.0 innings pitched as Bellarmine reached the mercy rule against the Bulldogs for the second game in a row. There was a violent wind blowing out toward right field, but Phillips never let Truman State take advantage.
Maybe Bellarmine took advantage of the wind, maybe the Knights didn't. Homers by sophomore center fielder
Matt Higgins, senior right fielder
Zac Wiley, junior catcher
Chris Gambert and senior first baseman
Tyler Neeley were all towering shots that disappeared deep into the forest beyond the fence. The fierce wind didn't seem to directly lead to any of the round-trippers so much as enhance their distance — and they were all no-doubters.
Truman State mostly avoided Bellarmine's muscle through three innings, although the Knights still managed to build a 3-0 lead. The bulk of the power display came in the fourth. First Higgins cranked a two-run homer to right. Then Wiley hammered a solo shot to right center. Finally, Gambert went back-to-back with Wiley, tattooing a solo drive to left.
Neeley got into the home-run act in the sixth, blistering a two-run shot to right center. It was his ninth homer of the season, Gambert racked up his 12th, Wiley registered his 11th and Higgins collected his seventh.
Gambert went 4 for 4 with three RBIs. He had RBI singles in the first and third. Wiley and Neeley both doubled in addition to their homers. They had two hits, as did Higgins and sophomore shortstop
Clayton Mehlbauer, who notched two RBIs.
Bellarmine plays a three-game series Friday and Saturday at GLVC leader Quincy.
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