LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine softball celebrated its 2026 senior class on Saturday, opening the final home weekend with a doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky where the Knights came out on top 4-3 in game one before coming up just short, 5-4, in game two at Knights Field.
The Knights (12-34, 5-15 ASUN) got off on the right foot on senior day after honoring the careers of
Madison Davis,
Addison Kerr,
Jacklyn Zuege and
Elli Jensen.
After a scoreless first inning, EKU struck first with a run in the top of the second.
Bellarmine answered in the home half of the second in a big way as freshman
Tia Ice launched a solo home run over the scoreboard in right field to tie the game at 1-1.
Eastern Kentucky responded with a run in each of the third and fourth innings to jump back in front 3-1
In the fifth, sophomore
Lauren Guthrie slashed a double down the left field line to bring home a run and cut the deficit in half. A few batters later, freshman
Lily Jones came through with an RBI single of her own, a line drive into left field, to tie the game at 3-3.
The Knights had one more push in the sixth and got over the hump thanks to junior
Nicole Waters. With two strikes on her, Waters launched a solo home run just over the wall in left field to put BU ahead 4-3.
Sophomore
Lele Bennett followed in the seventh to shut down EKU one final time to secure the win. Bennett finished with a 7.0 inning complete game effort, giving up just the three runs, two earned, on
eight hits and six walks while recording two strikeouts. The win was her seventh of the season, moving her into second all-time for wins in a single season in the Division I era.
A trio of Knights finished the game with two hits in Ice, Waters and freshman
Jayla Manning.
In game two EKU (25-22-1, 12-6-1 ASUN) once again got the scoring started with a run in the top of the first.
Bellarmine answered in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs on a sac fly from Ice and an RBI single from Waters to go up 2-1.
The Knights continued the scoring with another run in the third, this time thanks to Jones scrambling home on a wild pitch.
Eastern Kentucky got its offense going again in the fourth, scoring a run on a ground out before tacking on three runs in the fifth to jump ahead 5-3.
BU attempted a late rally, scoring a run in the fifth on ground out to get within one, down 5-4, but that was the last run the team could muster.
Ice and Waters notched their second two-hit games of the day while Guthrie joined the group.
Up next, Bellarmine will host Eastern Kentucky for the rubber match, and the final home game of the season, on Sunday, April 26 at Knights Field.
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