FLORENCE, Al. – Bellarmine softball opened its three-game series at North Alabama on Friday with a doubleheader, losing both games, 9-2 and 8-2, respectively, at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium.
In the first game, North Alabama scored the first run of the contest in the bottom of the first. The Lions continued to add on to their lead, scoring three runs in the second, a run in the third and two runs in the fourth to jump ahead 7-0.
Bellarmine finally answered with some runs of its own in the top of the fifth. Junior
Madison Davis led the frame off with a double, followed by two quick outs. Senior
Kayla Bauer then stepped to the plate and delivered the blow, launching a home run to left center field to put the Knights on the board, still down 7-2. The homer was Bauer's first of the season and just the second of her career.
UNA responded in the next half inning with two runs of its own to extend the lead back to seven before cruising to a 9-2 win.
The Knights started the second game on the right foot, scoring the first run. With one out, junior
Jacklyn Zuege got things going with a single before stealing second. After a walk, senior
Chloe Collins stepped to the plate and hit a ball to the UNA second baseman who flipped the ball to second to try start a double play, but the first baseman dropped the throw, allowing Collins to reach first and Zuege to scramble home for a 1-0 lead.
Zuege scored another run for Bellarmine in the third inning. She reached base via walk and was moved to third courtesy of back-to-back singles by senior
Reni Shemwell and Collins. In the following at-bat, Zuege broke for home on a wild pitch to push the lead to 2-0.
The lead did not last long however as North Alabama scored three runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 3-2. The Lions followed with a run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth to take control and secure an 8-2 win.
Up next, Bellarmine will finish its trip to Florence with the third and final game of the series on Saturday, April 19.
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