LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University softball team hosted the red-hot North Alabama Lions in its third ASUN series of the season, falling 10-0 in game one and 17-6 in game two.

Both contests lasted just five innings as the top ranked Gold Division Lions mercy-ruled Bellarmine (10-22, 3-5 ASUN) in back-to-back games.

UNA (23-8, 6-2) kicked the day off with two home runs in the opening frame of the first game to take a 4-0 lead.

The Lions continued to pour it on, scoring three runs in both the second and fifth innings to put the mercy rule in effect.

Senior Jacklyn Zuege and freshman Tia Ice recorded the only two hits for the Knights in the first game.

In game two, Bellarmine looked to have turned its misfortune around. Junior Nicole Waters and sophomore Lele Bennett got the scoring started in the bottom of the second, blasting back-to-back home
runs for the first time this season. Waters went first with a three-run shot for her second long ball of the season before Bennett turned around her team-leading fifth homer of the season.

North Alabama broke the game open in grand fashion in the top of the third, plating 14 runs on 11 hits to jump ahead 14-3.

Moving into the fourth, the Knights got the bats going again. Sophomore Lydia Stowe kicked the inning off as a pinch hitter, seeing her first plate appearance of the season, and promptly launched a home run on the third pitch she saw. Bellarmine tacked on two more runs thanks to a bases loaded error and walk, making the score 14-6.

UNA got back to work in the fifth, putting up three more runs before shutting the Knights down in the bottom of the inning to secure a 17-6 win.

Up next, Bellarmine will conclude its series with North Alabama on Sunday, March 29 at 1 pm at Knights Field.

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