KENT, Ohio — It wasn't the final chapter the Bellarmine University baseball team was hoping for, but the Knights could certainly appreciate the setting of where their season ended, which was in the DII NCAA Tournament.

On Friday at Kent State University's Schoonover Stadium, fifth-seeded Bellarmine fell 8-5 to eighth-seeded Tiffin before being eliminated in a 8-7 loss to top-seeded Ashland in the NCAA Midwest Regional 1.

Bellarmine finishes the year 34-21, marking the third straight season of at least 34 wins. The Knights captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament title and earned their third consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Game 1: Tiffin 8, Bellarmine 5
Bellarmine opened the tournament Thursday night with a 7-6 victory over Northwood in a game that ended late, and the Knights never got in a groove in any facet of this early afternoon contest.

Missed opportunities played a big part in the loss to the Dragons (26-29); Bellarmine left 11 runners on base. Along with a lack of timely hitting, the Knights committed four errors and allowed 13 hits.

Bellarmine did cut a 6-2 deficit to 6-5 after seven innings, but Tiffin scored one run apiece in the eighth and ninth and the Knights only had one base runner over the final two frames as the Dragons clinched a spot in Saturday's finals.

Junior catcher Chris Gambert cranked his team-high 16th homer, a solo shot in the fifth. Sophomore third baseman Jacob Mulcahy went 3 for 5 with an RBI single in the first, and senior first baseman Tyler Neeley went 2 for 3 with an RBI double in the opening frame. Senior center fielder Alex Phillips collected three hits.

Game 2: Ashland 8, Bellarmine 7
Bellarmine led 7-0 after two innings, but a remarkable relief outing by Ashland's Josh Smith completely changed the direction of the game.

Smith tossed 6.2 scoreless innings and that afforded the Eagles' offense the opportunity to track down the Knights. Ashland scored twice in the second, once in the fourth and knotted the game at 7 with a four-run fifth.

An outstanding relief outing by junior left-hander Shane Barringer helped Bellarmine maintain the deadlock until the ninth. Ashland's Micah Allen led off the bottom half with a double and, after a pitching change and sacrifice bunt, the Eagles had a base runner on third with one out.

In an attempt to set up a force out at home, Bellarmine intentionally walked two Eagles to load the bases. Garett Robberts ended the intense affair with a sharp walk-off RBI single to left.

Sophomore left fielder Matt Higgins became Bellarmine's all-time single-season hits leader when he doubled in the first inning. Following an RBI single by Gambert, Neeley crushed a three-run homer to right center for a 4-0 lead. Neeley finished the season with 15 homers.

Bellarmine scored three more runs in the second to take a 7-0 lead. Senior right fielder Zac Wiley stroked a two-run ground-rule double, and Gambert picked up another RBI.

Unfortunately for the Knights, that would be their final run of the season as they were shut out over the last seven innings. Ashland made several diving catches in the outfield.

Higgins tallied two hits and finished with a program-record 90 on the season. Phillips, Gambert and Mulcahy also notched two hits apiece.

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TIFFIN BOX SCORE (HTM)
ASHLAND BOX SCORE (HTM)