LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University softball team will take a short, one game break in its conference schedule as the Knights travel north to Highland Heights, Ky. for a midweek matchup against Northern Kentucky University on Wednesday, April 24.
 
First pitch for tomorrow's contest against the Norse is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET at Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field.
 
Bellarmine (13-27, 5-13 ASUN) is coming off an 0-3 weekend against top ranked conference foe Eastern Kentucky. The winless weekend is just the second for the Knights this season in league play and has the team sitting in ninth place in the league standings.
 
At the plate, junior Megan Konermann led the Knights against EKU, hitting .333 (3-for-9) with an RBI. Konermann was the only Bellarmine hitter to record a base knock in each of the three games. Behind Konermann, freshman Nicole Waters, sophomore Madison Davis, junior Chloe Collins and freshman Brooke Shewmaker all recorded two hits each with Waters leading the group with a .286 average. Davis was the only Knight to record an extra-base hit on the weekend, ripping a double in game two. Junior Kayla Bauer led the team with two RBI despite going hitless in six official at-bats. In the circle, senior Carson Goatley led the Bellarmine pitching effort. Goatley made one start on the weekend, tossing 4.0 innings while allowing three runs on a single hit with four walks and two strikeouts. The start marked Goatley's 100^th career appearance, making her the sixth player to do so in program history and the first player to do so in the Division I era.
 
Overall, Collins leads the Knights offense, hitting .306 on the season. Collins also has a team-high 37 hits and 20 RBI, adding six doubles, five home runs and 11 runs. Junior Harlie Bickett is second on the team, hitting .265 with a team-high 22 runs, adding 31 hits, five doubles, a triple, a home run, 14 RBI and six stolen bases. Having just met the statistic minimum requirements for ranking among team leaders, Bauer ranks third on the team, batting .259 with a team-high two triples, adding a double, 14 RBI, five stolen bases and 10 runs. On the rubber, junior Claire Lehmkuhler has led Bellarmine all season. Lehmkuhler owns a 9-14 record with a 3.22 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 119.2 innings of work. This season, Lehmkuhler has made 26 total appearances, 23 starts, and has turned in eight complete games, one shutout and one save, recording 77 strikeouts and 38 walks. Lehmkuhler is just two appearances shy of joining Goatley in the 100 career appearances club.
 
As many have done this season in a Knights jersey this season, Konermann continues her trek towards the Division I era record for most doubles in a season. With 12 doubles under her belt already, Konermann needs just one more to tie the record of 13 set by Hannah Webb in 2022 and two to break the record. Konermann already owns the record for most career doubles in the Division I era with 18.
 
In the Atlantic Sun Conference, Konermann ranks tied for second in the league with her 12 doubles. Joining her on the offensive side, junior Serenity Shemwell is tied for fifth in the league with six home runs. In the circle, freshman Selena Zuniga ranks among league leaders saves, ranking tied for second with three, and walks, ranking first with just 17.
 
As a team, Bellarmine is hitting .226 on the year with 128 runs, 54 extra-base hits and 34 stolen bases. On the rubber, Bellarmine has a 3.90 team ERA, 1.50 WHIP and is allowing a .271 batting average.
 
Wednesday's meeting between the Knights and Norse will be the 10^th all-time between the two teams and just the second in Bellarmine's Division I era. The series with NKU began in 2009 with a BU a 4-2 BU win. Since, Bellarmine is just 2-7 against Northern Kentucky. The last time the two teams met was at Knights Field on April 26, 2023 and resulted in a 1-0, NKU win. The Norse have won each of the last three meetings with Bellarmine's last win coming on April 3, 2012 (2-1 win at Knights Field).
 
About the Norse
 
Northern Kentucky enters the midweek contest after a 1-2 weekend series against Horizon League opponent Youngstown State. The Norse's last game was a tough 11-9 loss in game two of a doubleheader in which the Norse won the first game 8-5. This season NKU 18-17 overall and 11-7 in conference play. Northern Kentucky's offense features six players hitting .250+ with two players hitting over .300. Senior Ella LeMonier leads the Norse with a .393 batting average, racking up 46 hits with six doubles, two triples, 21 RBI and a team-high 14 stolen bases and 24 runs. LeMonier is backed by junior Olivia Pastin who is hitting .324 on the season, tallying 33 hits, eight doubles, one triple, 21 RBI, a stolen base, 14 runs and a team-high five home runs. Grad-student Tatum Birdie ranks third on the team with a .278 average, followed by sophomore Jena Rhoads (.266), senior Maddie Lacer (.264) and senior Sydni Barnes (.255). In the circle, NKU is led by grad-student Lauryn Hicks. Hicks owns a 7-8 record on the year with a 2.96 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 94.2 innings pitched. She has made 22 appearances, 14 starts, and has turned in eight complete games, three shutouts and four saves while recording 101 strikeouts to 60 walks. Senior Madisyn Eads and freshman Brooklyn Ballis share most of the remaining workload. Eads is 4-4 in 19 appearances this season, 11 starts, with a 3.43 ERA in 71.1 innings of work. Ballis owns a 5-4 record in 13 appearances, seven starts, with a 3.60 ERA in 56.1 innings pitched. As a team, NKU is hitting .270 this season with 142 runs scored, 73 extra-base hits and 39 stolen bases. The Norse pitching staff owns a 3.52 team ERA and are allowing a .250 opponent batting average this season.