LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University softball team will continue its Atlantic Sun Conference slate, travelling to Clarksville, Tenn. for a three-game series against Austin Peay State University from Thursday, March 28 to Saturday, March 30 at Cathi Maynard Park.
 
Thursday's game will kick off the series at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a 4 p.m. ET first pitch on Friday and a 1:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
 
The Knights (11-17, 3-3) enter the weekend after a 1-2 effort at Stetson last weekend. Despite the series loss, Bellarmine's three conference wins this season are the most ever in the Division I era. BU is currently sitting tied for fifth in the conference.
 
Junior transfer Harlie Bickett led the Knights in their second weekend of ASUN play, hitting .400 (4-for-10) over the three-game series, adding a triple, home run, three RBI, two runs and a stolen base. Bickett's triple and homer were her first of the season and her stolen base was the only one recorded by Bellarmine. In addition to her effort at the plate, Bickett recorded eight putouts and nine assists in the field without committing an error. In the final game of the series, fellow junior transfer Serenity Shemwell blasted a three-run home run, her team leading fifth of the season, and the only other long ball of the weekend for the Knights.
 
Although Bellarmine struggled a bit in the circle, junior Claire Lehmkuhler earned her team leading eighth win of the season, building on her record of most wins by a pitcher in a single season in the Division I era.
 
Overall, junior Chloe Collins leads Bellarmine, hitting .321 on the season. Collins also leads the Knights in hits (27), ranks second in home runs (4) and doubles (5) and tied for second in RBI (15), adding 10 runs scored. Freshman Brooke Shewmaker is second on the team, hitting .295 with 23 hits. Shewmaker leads the Knights with seven stolen bases and 17 runs, adding a triple and six RBI. Junior Megan Konermann ranks third on the team hitting .262 with 22 hits while leading the way with nine RBI. Konermann also ranks tied for second with 15 RBI, adding a triple, homer, stolen base and 11 runs.
 
On the rubber, Lehmkuhler continues to the lead Bellarmine's pitching staff in ERA (2.90), WHIP (1.29), complete games (5), shutouts (1), innings pitched (79.2) and strikeouts (62).
 
Since 1986, Bellarmine and Austin Peay have faced off 21 times, with most of the meetings coming at the Division II level. Since beginning the Division I transition, the Knights are 0-3 against the Governors, losing all three games on the road last season. Overall, Bellarmine owns an 11-10 advantage over Austin Peay but are just 3-6 in Clarksville.
 
About the Governors
 
Austin Peay is off to a 15-16 start this season and a 1-5 start in ASUN play. The Governors enter the weekend after a 1-2 series loss to Central Arkansas at home and sit tied for 10^th in the league. Austin Peay is led offensively by junior first baseman Kylie Campbell who enters the series batting .408, the third best average in the ASUN, with four doubles, four triples and a home run, while scoring a team best 22 runs and driving in 18. Campbell is followed by freshman centerfielder Brie Howard who is batting at a .391 clip, good for fifth in the league, with three doubles, a triple and a team and league-high six home runs. She also leads the team and conference with 26 RBIs and has scored 17 runs. Junior third baseman/designated player Macee Roberts is the third Governor currently hitting over .300 after the team's first 31 games, coming into the series batting .303, with six doubles, a triple and a home run, while driving in 15 and scoring 11 runs. In the circle, Jordan Benefiel (8-8, 2.41 ERA, 91 K's) leads the Govs pitching staff, while Samantha Meiner (4-6, 3.13 ERA, 30 K's), Ashley Martin (2-1, 3.21 ERA, 31 K's) and Payton Harris (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 K) have also picked up wins this season for Austin Peay. As a team, the Governors lead the ASUN Conference in double plays per game with 0.45 and triples per game with 0.42, rank second in batting average (.284) and third in fielding percentage (.973) and on-base percentage (.349).
 
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