EVANASVILLE, In. – The Bellarmine University softball team turned in a seventh inning rally but came up just short on Wednesday night against Evansville, falling 5-3 at John & Dorothy Cooper Stadium.

Bellarmine (10-24, 3-6 ASUN) took an early punch but held its composure to limit the damage early on.

The Purple Aces came out swinging, putting up four runs in the bottom of the first inning, recording four hits while taking advantage of two BU errors to go up 4-0. Evansville added on another run in the second, stringing together a pair of hits to extend its lead to 5-0.

From there, it was a pitcher's duel as neither team was able to get much going at the plate.

In the seventh, Bellarmine finally got the bats going. Freshman Tia Ice led off the frame with a four pitch walk before sophomore Lydia Stowe smoked a ground rule double over the wall in center field. In the next at-bat, fellow sophomore Lauren Guthrie came in as a pinch hitter and ripped an RBI single to right center to bring home BU's first run of the game. Evansville staved off another run, getting the ball in quickly to get an out at the plate.

After the second out of the inning, junior Nicole Waters entered as a pinch hitter and poked another RBI single up the middle. Senior Madison Davis kept the inning going, adding a third run for the Knights with her double to right center. Bellarmine had bases loaded but was unable to get another run across as Evansville secured the 5-3 win.

Up next the Knights will return to ASUN play, heading to Clarksville, TN for a three-game series April 4-5 at Austin Peay.

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