WESTFIELD, Ind.—The Bellarmine softball team completed its six-game visit to Grand Park by sweeping West Virginia State in a doubleheader, taking game one 6-2 and prevailing 7-5 in the tail end.  
 
In the first game, the Knights got a complete game, four hitter from pitcher Shelby Kelley, who also knocked in a pair of runs.  Bellarmine, the visiting team for the opener got the scoring started in the third inning, rallying for two runs with two outs.  Grace Werner started the rally with an infield single, then stole second base.  Alexis Hargrove drove her in with a double to center, and Kelley followed with a single to plate Hargrove.
 
The Yellow Jackets responded with a run in the home half of the inning, but both teams went down in order in the fourth. The Knights got their offense revved up with two outs again in the fifth, and again, it was Werner, Hargrove and Kelley coming up with three consecutive hits to score two more runs and extend the lead to 4-1
 
West Virginia State went down 1-2-3 in the fifth, and the Knights tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Sabrina Fussenegger doubled home Sarah Ratterman and pinch runner Joelle Zielinski.
 
The Yellow Jackets closed out the scoring in bottom of the sixth when Emma Ruth singled, stole second and third and scored on Kasey Murphy's single.
 
Game two had the Knights switch to the home team, but they were still first on the scoreboard with a four-run second inning.  Bellarmine used timely hitting, along with two successful sacrifices to plate four runs on four hits.  Sydney Young, Alyssa Brock, Werner, and Hargrove all had base knocks with RBIs provided by Brock, Werner (2) and Hargrove.
 
West Virgina State cut the Bellarmine lead in half in the top of the third, and again it was Ruth with a clutch play, this time a two-run double.
 
The Knights increased their cushion to 7-4 in the bottom of the fourth when Kelley smacked a bases-loaded triple to drive in Rachel Ayer, Werner and Fussenegger.
 
The score remained the same until the final inning when the Yellow Jackets made it close by scoring three runs with the big hit being a triple by Jade Fleeman.
 
The Knights got another solid pitching performance in game two with Olivia Knies notching her second straight victory while working 6.2 innings and surrendering just five hits. Kelley came on and recorded the final out to pick up her first save.
 
With the sweep, Bellarmine improves to 7-9 while WVSU falls to 9-9.
 
The Knights return to action on Sunday, March 1 when they travel to Ohio Dominican for a doubleheader.
 
For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights) and Facebook (BUKnights).
 
GAME 1 BOX SCORE (HTM)
 
GAME 2 BOX SCORE (HTM)