ATHENS, Ohio — The rain was falling at a steady pace with winds whipping as the Bellarmine Knights and the Ohio Bobcats began play at Pruitt Field today, and that bad weather was sign of what was to come for the visitors.  While the poor weather conditions improved, Bellarmine's fortunes did not, as the host Bobcats rolled to an 8-2 victory in the Mid-American Conference contest.
 
Entering play, the Bobcats were the top-scoring team in the league featuring the MAC's leading individual scorer, and both Ohio and Katelyn Whittle improved on those numbers today.  Whittle stuffed the stat sheet with five goals and two assists.
 
Despite the lopsided score, the Knights were competitive in the first half, trailing just 3-1 at the break.  However, a four-goal outburst in the third quarter by Ohio put the game out of reach, and the teams traded fourth quarter scores to make the final 8-2.
 
Senior Anna Crump was awarded the assist on both Bellarmine goals.  The first came on a corner when she took a pass from Teresa Schmidt and smashed the ball toward the goal where Peyton Hobson got the tip for the goal.  In the final quarter, Crump passed from the outside circle to just in front of the goal where Paige Hoyer collected the ball and beat the goalie for Bellarmine's second score.
 
The final statistics showed that Bellarmine kept fighting throughout the game and ended with just three fewer shots than the Bobcats (18-15) and equaled the home team in both shots on goal (10) and penalty corners (6).
 
Bellarmine, which falls to 7-8 and 3-3 in the MAC, remains in the Buckeye State for its next game.  The Knights take on No. 10 Ohio State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Knights end their regular season with a home contest against MAC foe Kent State on Friday, Oct. 27.
 
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