BOWLING GREEN, Ky.—Bellarmine softball saw its win streak extend and end in the same day as the Knights opened up their slate of games at the Hilltopper Classic on Friday. BU (4-3) first defeated Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) by a final score of 4-3 before dropping their second game 11-1 (5 inn.) at the hands of host Western Kentucky.
Bellarmine's win streak, dating back to last weekend at the Paladin Invitational, reached three after the win against SEMO before it was snapped by WKU.
Game 1: Bellarmine vs. SEMO
Game one swung Bellarmine's way early, starting in the second inning. Megan Konermann drew a one-out walk, and Sydney Young followed with a hit-by-pitch. Olivia Bricker then reached on a throwing error by the catcher, loading the bases unconventionally. Anna Greenwell came up with the first clutch hit of the game, driving in Konermann with a RBI single. The Knights had a chance to make it 2-0 in the second, but Young was thrown out at home on a ground-ball to shortstop with the bases loaded.
Bellarmine entered the third inning up 1-0 and padded its lead some more. Sarah Ratterman led off with a single to shortstop, and Alexis Hargrove followed with a walk. Konermann later reached on an error to juice the bases with one out. The next batter, Young lifted a fly ball center-field, scoring Ratterman and giving Bellarmine a 2-0 lead.
SEMO answered the next half inning with three singles and two walks to tie the game 2-2. Bellarmine, however, was ready to punch right back. Grace Werner served as the catalyst yet again, singling through the left side with one out in the fourth. A Hannah Webb ground-out then moved Werner to second. Ratterman singled and advanced to second on the throw while pushing Werner to third. With two outs and a pair in scoring position, Hargrove delivered with two-RBI base-hit through the right side of the infield. That gave Bellarmine a 4-2 advantage.
SEMO continued the back-and-forth trend, stringing together a walk and two singles to score one run in the fifth. The Redhawks were held to just one single though in the final two innings, resulting in the 4-3 Bellarmine victory.
Carson Goatley started in the circle one again for BU, earning her second win of the season. Goatley allowed just two runs in four innings while striking out five. Megan Murphy came in to pitch the final three innings, giving up only one run and earning the save.
Ratterman ended the game with a team-high two hits, while Hargrove had the most important hit of the game in the fourth inning.
Game 2: Bellarmine vs. Western Kentucky
In Bellarmine's night-game, Western Kentucky used two big innings to run away from the Knights.
The Hilltoppers used four hits including a home run, one walk, and a Bellarmine error to immediately take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Knights stabilized, holding WKU scoreless the next two innings. Bellarmine also got one back in the third, off a pair of quick doubles from Abby Shipley and Olivia Bricker, who picked up the RBI.
Trailing 4-1 entering the fourth inning, WKU opened the floodgates with a seven-run storm. Three straight singles and a sacrifice-fly scored the first run, and a two-RBI base-hit scored the next two. An error brough home the eighth run of the game for the Hilltoppers, setting up a three-run home run for Randi Drinnon to make it 11-0 Western Kentucky.
Bellarmine was held to just three this, while WKU piled up 12. Claire Lehmukhler got the start, allowing WKU's four runs in the first inning. Friday was Lehmukhler's first loss after two straight wins to start her career. Goatley pitched the next two-and-two-thirds, allowing seven runs but only three earned.
The Knights are back on the field at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday against Central Michigan. Bellarmine will then begin tournament play Saturday afternoon, with their opponent dependent on pool-play seeding. BU will either play at 3:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. in game two on Saturday.
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