CHATTANOOGA, Tn. – Whitney Arion collected her first win as the head coach of the Bellarmine University softball team as the Knights split day one of the Chattanooga Challenge, falling 5-3 to Chattanooga before topping Middle Tennessee 5-4 on Friday night.
Bellarmine (1-5) continued to show off its improved offense under Arion, recording eight total runs on 17 hits on the day.
Despite the final score, the Knights were in control of their game against Chattanooga, holding a lead in the seventh.
After two scoreless innings to start, Bellarmine struck first in the top of the third as sophomore
Peyton Arnold brought home the game's first run with an RBI single to give BU a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore
Lele Bennett got the starting nod in the game and dominated the first four innings, giving up just three singles while keeping the Mocs off the scoreboard.
The Knights added on to their lead in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of a fielder's choice play off a hard-hit ball from Arnold, bringing home another run for a 2-0 lead.
Chattanooga finally got its offense going in the bottom of the fifth when it chased Bennett out of the game with a two RBI double to tie the game 2-2.
With no further damage in the sixth, Bellarmine got another clutch at-bat from Arnold as she brought in a third run with another RBI single in top of the seventh as the Knights retook the lead at 3-2.
In the home half of the inning, Chattanooga had a run one with two outs before hitting the gas pedal, turning in an RBI double and two-run home run in back-to-back at-bats to turn the game around and walk-off the Knights with a 5-3 win.
Arnold finished the game as the Knights' leading hitter, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Bellarmine's fortune finally turned in the second game of the day as Arion and the Knights found the wining recipe.
BU, playing as the home team, once again put the first run on the board, this time in the first inning. Senior
Jacklyn Zuege got the offense going with a leadoff walk. After two quick outs, freshman
Tia Ice delivered the clutch at-bat, pulling a hard single down the first base line to score Zuege and take a 1-0 lead.
Middle Tennessee evened the score in the third, scoring its first run on an RBI double to tie the game 1-1.
The game didn't stay tied for long however as Bellarmine answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. With bases loaded and no outs, the Knights once again took advantage of a hard-hit ball on a fielder's choice play, scoring a run off the bat of senior
Madison Davis to retake the lead at 2-1.
Things got even more exciting in the fourth. Middle Tennessee started the inning with a two spot, scoring both runs on an RBI single, to jump ahead 3-2.
Bellarmine once again answered right away. After a quick first out, freshman
Jayla Manning and sophomore
Lauren Guthrie reached base with back-to-back singles, setting the stage for Ice to come to the plate and deliver a three-run home run down the right field line, putting the Knights ahead 5-3.
After a scoreless fifth, the Blue Raiders scratched across another run in the sixth before Bennett came on the shut the door in the seventh to seal the 5-3 win for the Knights.
Ice finished as the dog on the offense in game two, going 3-for-4 with the homerun, four RBI and a run scored.
Up next, Bellarmine will continue play in the Chattanooga Challenge, taking on Canisius and Middle Tennessee on Saturday, February 14.
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