RICHMOND, Ky. – In yet another rain-soaked final weekend, the Bellarmine University softball team opened its last ASUN series of the season with two losses in a doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday at Gertrude Hood Field, falling 2-0 in game one and 10-3 in a weather shortened game two.
The Knights (7-34, 2-21 ASUN) started the day in a pitcher's duel.
With nothing coming across the plate in the first inning, Eastern Kentucky tallied the game's first run in the second before tacking on a second run in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead.
Bellarmine had its best scoring chance in the top of the second, thanks to a leadoff double from senior
Chloe Collins, but nothing would come of the threat.
Despite coming up on the losing end of game one, Bellarmine outhit EKU 3-2 with senior
Harlie Bickett and sophomore
Nicole Waters tallying a single each in addition the extra-base knock by Collins.
Senior
Claire Lehmkuhler pitched a solid game, tossing all 6.0 innings while allowing just the two runs on two hits and three walks with one strikeout.
Game two started in similar fashion as game one with no one runs scoring in the opening inning.
Eastern Kentucky put up a crooked four runs in the second however to take an early lead.
The Knights responded in the third thanks to a two-out home run off the bat of senior
Reni Shemwell, making the score 4-1.
An inning and a near hour and a half lightning delay later, Bellarmine scratched another run across the plate to get within two. Senior
Emily O'Dee drew a one out walk as a pinch hitter once the game resumed to get the rally going. In the next at-bat, fellow senior
Mackayla Denney moved junior
Madison Davis, who re-entered the game for O'Dee, to second base with a swinging bunt. Senior
Kayla Bauer finally delivered the scoring blow, driving an RBI single up the middle to make cut the EKU lead to 4-2.
The Colonels answered quickly however, scoring five runs in the home half of the fourth.
Shemwell answered the call once again the fifth, answering for the Knights with her second home run of the game.
The game entered a second lightning delay in the bottom of the fifth after Eastern Kentucky had scored another run to up 10-3 and after 1:50 minutes, the game was called due to poor field conditions, giving the Colonels their second win of the day.
Shemwell was the star of the game for Bellarmine, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, two home runs, two RBI and two runs.
Up next, Bellarmine will wrap up its 2025 campaign with one final game at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, May 3.
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