GREENVILLE, S.C. – Former athletes fondly remember the rides home after success road trips. Bellarmine softball has a jovial return to Louisville ahead of them after sweeping their two Sunday games at the Paladin Invitational.
The Knights defeated Maryland Eastern-Shore 3-2 in thrilling fashion and finished with a resounding 9-0 victory against host Furman in five innings. Bellarmine finished its opening weekend with a winning record of 3-2.
Game 1: Bellarmine vs. Maryland Eastern-Shore
Like its win against North Dakota on Friday, a quick start was important for Bellarmine against UMES in game one on Sunday. After a scoreless first, the Knights drew first blood in the second inning. The first three batters reached, starting with a Chloe Collins double to right field. Megan Konermann then reached an error from the UMES shortstop, and Alexis Hargrove singled to load the bases with no outs. Abby Shipley provided a sacrifice fly to right field which scored Collins. Carley Ziegler chipped in another productive out, scoring Konermann on a sacrifice fly to center-field.
Bellarmine held that 2-0 lead until the top of the sixth when UMES responded. Julia Garcia and Ameenah Ballenger both singled, later advancing to second and third on a ground out to second base. Kelsie Ekstrom then came up with the clutch hit of the game for the Hawks, doubling down the left field line with two outs to tie the game 2-2.
Freshman pitcher Claire Lehmkuhler showed poise though, holding UMES scoreless in the top of the seventh to set the table for a dramatic Bellarmine win. In the home half of the seventh, Grace Werner drew a lead-off walk. Hannah Webb followed with a double to right field which moved the winning run Werner to third base. Sarah Ratterman walked to load the bases with zero outs. Two strikeouts in a row, however, put the Knights in a nail-biting position. The senior Werner took it upon herself to make something happen. Werner noticed the UMES catcher Ekstrom look down to squat, Werner took off for home, and Werner stole home to win the game for Bellarmine 3-2.
Lehmkuhler threw her second complete game in as many outings to start her career, capturing her second win. The Knights managed just five hits as a team but drew seven walks.
Game 2: Bellarmine vs. Furman
Bellarmine simply could not do much wrong at the plate in game two against host Furman. The Knights scored at least one run in all five innings, run-ruling the Paladins 9-0. BU's win against Furman represents the largest margin of victory for Bellarmine in the Division I era.
The good vibes for the Knights carried over from their walk-off win against UMES into the first inning of their matchup with Furman. After Anna Greenwell reached on an error to lead off the game, Webb brought Greenwell home with an RBI single to left field. One batter later, Ratterman scored Webb with a single to right field and the Knights led 2-0. Later in the inning, Alexis Hargrove drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Ratterman and push BU ahead 3-0. Bellarmine totaled six base-runners in the first inning alone.
Not much changed in the second inning as Bellarmine put up another three-spot. An RBI double from Ratterman and single from Collins were the RBI hits in another big inning for the Knights. Greenwell, Webb, and Ratterman crossed the plate and Bellarmine batted around for the second consecutive inning to take a 6-0 lead.
The Knights tacked on one more in the third with a Webb two-bagger to center field that scored Werner. Greenwell doubled in the fourth to drive in Olivia Bricker, and Hargrove tripled in the fifth to score Konermann and make it 9-0 Bellarmine. BU pitcher Carson Goatley rolled through a one-two-three inning in the fifth to lock up the 9-0 win in five innings.
Bellarmine racked up 13 hits, four extra-base hits, and four walks. Four of the top five batters in the Bellarmine order had multiple hits. Goatley finished her outing in the circle allowing just two hits and striking out five to pick up her first win of the season.
Greenwell, Werner, and Webb all finished with a team-high six hits over the weekend, while Greenwell and Werner are tied for a team-best .375 batting average. Hargrove leads the Knights with four RBIs after the first five games. Lehmkuhler leads Bellarmine pitchers with two wins.
The Knights return to the diamond on Friday at the Hilltopper Classic hosted by Western Kentucky. BU will again play five games in three days.
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