LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University softball team will celebrate its senior class this weekend as the Knights welcome Lipscomb to Knights Field April 26-27 for their final home series of the 2025 season.

The series is set to begin on Saturday, April 26 with a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to begin at 12:15 pm E.T. with game two to follow at 2:45 pm E.T. The series will conclude on Sunday, April 27 at 12 pm E.T.

Senior Day celebrations will be held prior to game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Bellarmine's roster features 10 seniors this season in Kayla Bauer, Harlie Bickett, Chloe Collins, Mackayla Denney, Erica Endris, Kelsie Houchens, Megan Konermann, Claire Lehmkuhler, Emily O'Dee and Reni Shemwell. Six members of this class have spent their entire four-year career as Knights (Bauer, Collins, Endris, Konermann, Lehmkuhler, O'Dee) while three have played their final two seasons at BU (Bickett, Denney, Shemwell) and one playing their final season as a Knight (Houchens).

Last weekend, the Knights (7-29, 2-16 ASUN) traveled to North Alabama for a three-game ASUN series, falling in all three games. Junior Madison Davis and Shemwell led the offense with three hits each. Davis turned in a team-best .333 batting average, adding a double and a run while Shemwell hit .300 in the series. Bauer and Endris both launched home runs in the series while Bauer also added a double for a team-high two extra-base hits. Endris' home run tied the game for the Knights in the seventh inning of game three, giving BU a chance in extra innings. In the circle, Houchens turned in yet another complete game, this time tossing 8.2 innings in game three, giving up just two unearned runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Overall, Bickett has led the Bellarmine offense all season long. She is hitting .266 on the year and leads the team in hits (29), doubles (7), runs (15) and stolen bases (9) while ranking tied for first in triples (1), third in RBI (9) and walks (14) and tied for third in home runs (1). Bickett is one of the hardest hitters to strike out in the country, with just three on the season she strikes out once per 36.3 at bats, good for second best in the ASUN and 13^th in the NCAA. Davis is second on the team, hitting .250 this season with four doubles, six runs and two stolen bases. On the rubber, Houchens leads the pitching staff in almost every category, owning four wins with a 4.04 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 23 total appearances and 17 starts. She has turned in seven complete games this season, eighth most in the ASUN, and has pitched 97.0 innings with 24 strikeouts to 46 walks.

The Knights' offense has seen an increase in production as of late, thanks to the hot play of Bickett, Zuege, Davis and Shemwell. Bickett enters the weekend on a nine-game on-base streak (April 5 to April 19) that featured a seven-game hit streak. Over the stretch, she is hitting .355 with 11 total hits, one double, one RBI, one run, three stolen bases and three multi-hit games. Zuege has been the hottest hitter on the team since Bellarmine began its ASUN schedule on March 13. Since then, she is hitting .302 in 18 games (15 ASUN, three non-conference), adding two doubles, nine RBI, six runs, a stolen base and nine walks to her line. In just her 15 conference games played, Zuege is hitting a team-best .326. Shemwell has been streaking as one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup since she returned from an injury on March 28. In her 14 games back, she is hitting a blistering .412 with four doubles, three RBI, a run and six walks. Over the stretch, Shemwell turned in a 10-game on-base streak that included a five-game hit streak and four multi-hit games. Davis has slowly but surely planted herself as one of the most consistent bats in the Bellarmine lineup. After bouncing in and out of the starting lineup to start the year, she hasn't left the lineup since the end of March. Since March 22, she has raised her batting average .115 points to .250 on the year. In her last 18 games, she is hitting .310 with three doubles, two RBI, five runs, two stolen bases and four walks. In the circle, Houchens has been on a bit of tear herself. In her last six starts, she has collected three wins while turning in four complete games. In total, she owns a 2.04 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in 37.2 innings of work.

As a team, Bellarmine is hitting .209 on the year with 86 runs, 43 extra-base hits and 23 stolen bases. In the circle, the Knights' pitching staff works with a 5.74 team ERA and 1.88 WHIP while allowing a .321 average to opposing hitters.

Lipscomb enters the weekend 20-27 overall and 7-11 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. The Bisons are coming off a 7-1 midweek loss at Belmont University and are on a five-game losing streak. Last weekend, they were swept by Central Arkansas in ASUN play. The last time Lipscomb got a win was April 13 at home, taking down Eastern Kentucky 11-3 in six innings. With seven conference wins, Lipscomb ranks fifth in the ASUN's Gold Division, five games ahead of Bellarmine with one postseason spot left. The Bisons' offense features three players hitting over .300 and is led by sophomore Alyssa Hastings with an average of .408. Hastings ranks second in the ASUN in hitting while leading the league in doubles (19). In addition, she adds eight home runs, 36 RBI, 37 runs and three stolen bases to her stat line. Redshirt junior Josey Polk and sophomore Macyn Kirby are both hitting .304 on the season. Polk is second on the team with 42 total hits, adding seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 28 RBI, 17 runs and six stolen bases. Kirby is tied for second with 30 runs scored this year while tallying four doubles, 13 RBI and six stolen bases. As a team, Lipscomb is hitting .261 with 94 extra-base hits and 32 stolen bases. In the circle, the Bisons are led by redshirt senior Laine Barefoot. Barefoot owns an 11-12 record with a 3.71 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 31 appearances this season, making 23 starts, second most in the conference. She has turned in 10 complete games on the year, third most in the ASUN, and pitched in one combined shutout. She has recorded 70 strikeouts to 33 walks in her 143.1 innings pitched, the most in the ASUN. Overall, Lipscomb operates with a 4.97 team ERA and a 1.82 WHIP while allowing opposing hitters a .300 batting average.

The last time Bellarmine and Lipscomb met was for a three-game series earlier this season with Lipscomb taking all three games. The Knights and Bisons have faced off 15 times in total with Bellarmine holding a 1-14 record against Lipscomb. Lipscomb last made the trip to Louisville in April 2024.

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