CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Bellarmine University softball team capped off its first weekend of play at the CSU Kickoff Tournament on Sunday afternoon, falling 6-4 to Charleson Southern.
 
With the loss, Bellarmine opens the season 1-4 while the win improves Charleston Southern to 1-4 to start the year.
 
The Knights opened the scoring for the third time on the weekend, striking for two runs in the first. Harlie Bickett led the game off reaching base thanks to an error before Jacklyn Zuege and Chloe Collins drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. In the next at-bat, Bickett scored from third on a wild pitch before Megan Konermann brought Zuege home with a sacrifice fly to right field to put Bellarmine ahead 2-0.
 
Charleston Southern answered in the second, putting up five runs on five hits and an error to take a 5-2 lead.
 
Bellarmine worked its way back into the game over the next two innings. With two outs in the third, Konermann and Reni Shemwell kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles before Mackayla Denney ripped one through the left side of the infield to bring Konermann home and cut into the deficit, down 5-3. In the next frame, Bickett took a one out hit by pitch to get the offense started. After the second out, Chloe Collins singled through the left side to move Bickett into scoring position, followed by a walk by Konermann to load the bases. Shemwell stepped to the plate and delivered a line drive back at the pitcher who was unable to make the play, allowing Bickett to score and bring the Knights within one at 5-4.
 
The Buccaneers tacked on one final run in the fifth before sitting Bellarmine down in order in the final two innings for a 6-4 win.
 
Up next, Bellarmine will take 11 days off before its next game when the Knights make their home debut, hosting Green Bay on Friday, February 21^st at Knights Field.
 
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