COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Bellarmine lacrosse team visited Ohio State on Tuesday and gave the 10th-ranked Buckeyes a few fits, but ultimately fell 11-6.
 
Things looked promising early on as Bellarmine jumped on top 2-0. Luke Healy moving to his left threw in a bouncing shot for the game's first score two-and-a-half minutes in. Joe Alie followed that with a score after scooping a rebound following a save by Buckeyes keeper Caleb Fyock. Still, OSU would even the score at 2-2 before the end of the quarter following scores by Syracuse transfer Jackson Birtwistle and 2025 Honorable Mention All-American Alex Marinier.
 
The Knights withstood three more Buckeyes goals in the opening five minutes of the second quarter, including two by Khalif Hocker, to complete a 5-0 Ohio State run. Bellarmine keeper Nolan Hudnut would lock down OSU with six saves in the final nine minutes of the second to hold them at five. Meanwhile, Ezra Moore and Ty Washington each got on the board to cut the Knights' deficit to one at the break, 5-4.
 
In the third, however, OSU netted three more, including one each from Marinier and Birtwistle, as the Buckeyes held the Knights to their first goalless quarter since the third quarter of their 11-10 win over Queens on April 26 of last year.
 
Jack Fischel gave the Knights hope with a score one minute into the fourth quarter to close the gap to three at 8-5, but Ohio State responded less than a minute later with a score by Garrett Haas. Hocker netted another for his first career hat trick to supply OSU with a 10-5 lead with 9:33 remaining.
 
The Buckeyes would add one more with 4:11 left before Knights freshman Dillon O'Rourke scooped up a ground ball of the ensuing faceoff and ran it right down the middle, bouncing it in for his first career goal. That, however, would be the game's last goal, bringing it to its 11-6 final tally.
 
Niko Madden performed admirably at the faceoff X, winning 9 of 20. Additionally, Bellarmine was only minus-two at halftime in ground balls at 20-18, but would not have the same success in the second half as OSU won the ground ball battle 24-11 over the final 30 minutes.
 
Under fire all afternoon, Hudnut made a season-high 17 saves, including a handful of spectacular saves, to keep the Knights close as OSU outshot Bellarmine 44-22, 27-14 on goal.
 
Fyock, last season's Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Award winner, made seven saves while allowing six goals.
 
Bellarmine star senior John Alie, chasing the program's all-time goals record, was held without a goal or a point for the first time since the Knights' ASUN tournament loss to Cleveland State at the end of the 2024 season.
 
Additionally, Bellarmine was held without a multi-goal scorer for the first time since their 18-5 loss at Jacksonville on April 19, 2025 and without a player tallying multiple points since their 16-4 loss at Ohio State on February 11, 2025.
 
Bellarmine next prepares for their home opener Saturday against Cleveland State at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium. Opening faceoff is set for 12 p.m. ET.
 
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