LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine softball blasted five home runs en route to a 2-0 Atlantic Sun Conference opening day, defeating Jacksonville University (10-15, 0-2) 7-5 and 2-1 on Friday at Knights Field.
 
The Knights (10-14, 2-0) hit the ball hard all day, tallying five homers from four different players as they opened conference play with two wins. With their victory in game one, the Knights recorded their first ASUN opening win since beginning the Division I transition in 2021. The win also marked Bellarmine softball's first conference play opening win since 2016 when they topped Missouri S&T 2-0 to open GLVC action.
 
"I am very proud of the team played today," said Bellarmine head coach Caitlyn de la Haba. "All around, I thought we had a good day. We put a lot of balls in play really hard offensively that didn't always fall but I think we were very consistent at the plate, and we were really solid defensively."
 
Game One
 
Dealing with a drizzly, chilly afternoon, both teams were slow to start as game one began as a scoreless pitcher's duel through the first two innings.
 
Bellarmine broke the stalemate in the home half of the third, striking for four runs. Freshman Brooke Shewmaker got the frame started with a one-out single through the left side. After another quick out, Shewmaker stole second base to move herself into scoring position. Junior Chloe Collins then stepped to the plate and mashed a two-run home run, her team leading fourth of the season. Fellow junior Megan Konermann kept the inning going in the following at-bat, lacing a double into the outfield grass before junior transfer Serenity Shemwell launched a two-run homer of her own, pushing the Knights lead to 4-0.
 
Jacksonville answered in fourth, plating a run on a home run of its own, cutting the lead to three at 4-1. The Dolphins followed the at-bat by holding the Knights scoreless in the bottom of the inning before putting up another run on yet another home run to get within down at 4-2.
 
The Knights got the bats going again in the bottom of the fifth. After a quick first out, junior Harlie Bickett drew a four pitch walk and Collins drove a single up the middle to put two runners on the base paths. Pinch running for Collins, freshman Kendall Gaddie stole second, her second steal of the year, to put two runners in scoring position for Konermann who brought both runners home with a single through the left side before getting thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. With two outs in the inning, Shemwell stepped to the plate and blasted her second home run of the day, tying Collins for the team-lead with four, extending Bellarmine's lead to 7-2.
 
Jacksonville attempted a rally, scratching across three more runs in the sixth to get back within two, down 7-5.
 
After entering to pitch for the Knights with two outs in the sixth, freshman Selena Zuniga came back on to pitch the seventh, securing the win for Bellarmine while earning her first career save.
 
Game Two
 
Just as they did in game one, Bellarmine put the first run on the board in game two. Konermann led the bottom of the second inning off, swinging at and hammering the first pitch she saw, sending the ball over the wall in right field for her first home run of the season to give BU an early 1-0 lead.
 
The game held at 1-0 until the fourth inning when Jacksonville struck for a run of its own thanks to a pair of doubles, tying the game 1-1.
 
Senior Carson Goatley turned in arguably her best start of the season, tossing 5.0 inning of one run ball, scattering four hits while striking out two without issuing a walk.
 
Zuniga once again entered the game in relief for the Knights, tossing the final two innings shutting out the Dolphins while only allowing a single hit with a strikeout and no walks.
 
With the game still knotted at 1-1, the Knights had one final chance to get back on top in the bottom of the seventh. Shemwell led the frame off with a strong at-bat but was unable to get on base, going down as the first out of the inning. Next came freshman Nicole Waters to the plate who waited for her pitch and launched a walk-off bomb to left center field, her second career home run, to secure the 2-1 win for Bellarmine.
 
With a win in both games of the day, Bellarmine secured the series win over Jacksonville with one game still to play.
 
"All of our pitchers had a really great day," de la Haba added. "Selena did a really great job of coming in late in both games and Carson, I thought threw her best game all year. She didn't get the win, but she put us in a position to be able to have a chance at the end and I'm just really proud of our group all around."
 
The Knights and Dolphins will conclude their first ASUN series of the season Saturday morning, March 16, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. ET at Knights Field.
 
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