CARROLLTON, Ga. – The Bellarmine University softball team opened its 2026 season with two games on day one of the UWG Opening Weekend Event, showing growth at the plate from last season.
In the head coaching debut of Whitney Arion, Bellarmine (0-2) had a solid showing with the bats, especially in game one, as the Knights set a new Division I Era record for hits in a game with 15 against Drexel. Additionally, BU scored nine runs, the highest output of offense in a game since March 15, 2024 (12 runs vs. St. Bonaventure).
After giving up a run in the bottom of the first, the Knights bounced back in the third with two runs of their own. Senior
Madison Davis led the frame off with a solo home run, the first long ball of her four-year career. Three batters later, freshman
Jayla Manning pulled an RBI single through the right side to give BU a 2-1 lead.
At the end of five innings, you could all but wrap up the game with Bellarmine down 8-2, but the 2026 Knights had other plans, exploding for seven runs to retake the lead at 9-8. Senior
Jacklyn Zuege got the scoring started with an RBI double, followed by another RBI single off the bat of Manning. After a walk loaded the bases, freshman
Tia Ice stepped to the plate to play hero, blasting a grand slam to right center field for her first career home run. Junior
Nicole Waters capped the frame off with a final RBI single to give the Knights a 9-8 lead.
Unfortunately for Bellarmine, Drexel had some juice left in its bats, scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead at 10-9.
From there, the Dragons kept the Knights off the score board and held on for the 10-9 win.
Bellarmine carried some momentum into game two of the day, striking in the opening frame. With one out, a walk and two hit by pitches loaded the bases once again for Ice. She delivered once again, this time driving into center field to score a run and take a 1-0 lead.
West Georgia didn't stay down for long though as the Wolves put up two runs of its own in the home half of the first to go ahead 2-1.
After a scoreless second, the Knights went back on the attack in the third. Sophomore
Lele Bennett notched her first hit as a Knight, belting a two-run homer to left field to give Bellarmine the lead at 3-2.
Once again, West Georgia had other plans, tying the game 3-3 with a run in the next frame.
From there, it was all UWG as the Wolves scored eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to force a mercy rule 11-3 win.
Up next, Bellarmine will continue play in the UWG Opening Weekend Event, facing off against both Drexel and West Georgia for a second time on Saturday, February 7.
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