LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University softball rallied in the seventh inning but came up short in its weekend finale, losing 7-4 to Evansville on Sunday afternoon at Knights Field.
With the loss, the Knights move to 4-10 on the year.
After a quiet first inning, Evansville struck first in the second, scoring a run on a bases loaded walk to take a 1-0 lead.
Bellarmine answered quickly, scoring a run of its own in the bottom of the third.
Jadyn Thompson kicked the inning off with a bang, ripping a double off the wall in center field.
Brooke Shewmaker moved her to third in the next at-bat with a sacrifice bunt, leading to a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Harlie Bickett to tie the game 1-1.
Evansville tacked on three more in the fifth, thanks to a leadoff home run, RBI double and RBI single, retaking the lead at 4-1.
In the seventh, the Purple Aces continued to add on, putting up three more runs courtesy of two RBI singles.
Down 7-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Knights mounted a rally.
Lydia Stowe led the frame off with a hard-hit single to center field, followed immediately by an
Erica Endris single through the right side of the infield and a hit by pitch drawn by
Nicole Waters to load the bases with no outs. In the next at-bat, a passed moved all three runners with Stowe crossing the plate.
Madison Davis brought home the second run of the inning with an RBI ground out. Thompson stepped the plate next and smoked a pitch right back at the pitcher, who made a great play to save a run and get the second out of the inning. With two away,
Peyton Arnold came in as a pinch hitter and reached base thanks to an Evansville defensive error that also allowed a run to score. Back at the top of the lineup, Bickett and
Jacklyn Zuege drew walks to the load the bases, but the threat would pass with no further damage as the Knights lost 7-4.
Up next, Bellarmine will begin its Atlantic Sun Conference schedule, hosting Austin Peay for a three-game series March 14-March 16 at Knights Field.
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