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Bellarmine University Athletics

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John Sommers II
0
Bellarmine BELL 10-30
9
Winner North Alabama UNA 28-11
Bellarmine BELL
10-30
0
Final
9
North Alabama UNA
28-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Bellarmine BELL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
North Alabama UNA 0 0 2 2 5 9 5 0

W: Maci Birdyshaw (13-2) L: Goatley, Carson (4-10)

1
Bellarmine BELL 10-31
2
Winner North Alabama UNA 29-11
Bellarmine BELL
10-31
1
Final
2
North Alabama UNA
29-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bellarmine BELL 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0
North Alabama UNA 1 1 0 0 0 0 X 2 5 0

W: Elena Escobar (1-1) L: Goatley, Carson (4-11)

Game Recap: Softball | | Jack Kizer

Collins hits fifth homer, Bellarmine drops two at North Alabama

FLORENCE, Ala.— A tough offensive day for Bellarmine softball led to a pair of ASUN losses at North Alabama on Friday. 
 
The Knights (10-31, 1-13 ASUN) dropped game one 9-0 in five innings and lost a tight 2-1 game in the second of a doubleheader against the Lions (29-11, 8-6 ASUN).  Between the two games, Bellarmine totaled six base hits on the day.
 
Game One
 
North Alabama ran away late in the first contest with the help of the long ball.  With a scoreless game entering the bottom of the third, UNA rattled off nine unanswered the next three innings. 
 
In the home half of the third, UNA scored a pair on back-to-back solo home runs from Brooke Burback and Haven Kirby.  The fourth inning featured a two-run blast to centerfield from Georgia Land.  With a 4-0 lead going to the fifth, the Lions exploded for five runs to end the game.  Hailey Jones crossed home on a wild pitch, setting up an Emma Broadfoot walk to again load the bases with a 5-0 advantage.  Harley Stokes proceeded to hit a walk-off grand slam, ending the game by run rule in the fifth inning.
 
Bellarmine put together just one hit in the first game – a double to right-center field from Hannah Webb in the fourth inning.
 
Carson Goatley got the start for the Knights and lasted 3.2 innings.  Claire Lehmkuhler tossed the final inning for the Knights.  UNA's ace, Maci Birdyshaw, allowed just one hit over all five innings and struck out seven in route to her 13th victory of the season.
 
Game Two
 
Unlike game one, early runs was the key for North Alabama in game two.  Jones sent a RBI double to right center field in the bottom of the first to quickly push UNA up 1-0.  Land led off the second inning with a home run to left center field and North Alabama led 2-0. 
 
Bellarmine's offense was more active from first pitch in the second game, with the Knights threatening in the first inning.  An Alexis Hargrove walk, Webb single to left field, and wild pitch had runners on second and third for BU with just one out.  North Alabama escaped the inning, however, inducing a groundout and strikeout.  A pair of singles scattered across the next five innings weren't enough to break into the lead.
 
In the seventh inning, the Knights scored their first run of the day with a leadoff Chloe Collins home run to left-center.  That cut the lead to 2-1 and gave Bellarmine life.  Emily O'Dee proceeded to come up with a clutch pinch-hit two-out single to keep the game alive and bring the go-ahead run to the plate.  Olivia Bricker lined out to second base, however, ending the game.
 
Collins' homer was the fifth of her freshman season, a mark that leads the team.  Webb concluded the day with a team-best three hits.  Goatley started game two as well, pitching three innings.  Megan Murphy was very strong the final three innings of the second game, allowing just one hit in 12 batters faced.  Elena Escobar earned the complete-game win for North Alabama.
 
The teams will conclude their three-game series with a single game tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT).
 
For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights), and Facebook (BUKnights).
 
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