April 17, 2009

Box Score

Game One: Lewis 2, Bellarmine 0 in PDF Format

Game Two: Bellarmine 6, Lewis 4 in PDF Format

Louisville, Ky. - The Lewis University softball team scored late in both of their games in their Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Bellarmine on Friday afternoon.

Lewis was able to sustain their lead in the opener and held on for the 2-0 win over the Knights, but a late four-run rally by the Flyers in the sixth inning was not enough as Bellarmine answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame to earn the 6-4 win in the nightcap at Knights Field.

With the split, Lewis moves to 29-14 on the campaign and 11-7 in GLVC action, while the host Knights are now 18-28 overall and 8-12 in conference play.

Game one featured a pitcher's duel between Lewis' Courtney Lyons (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro) and Bellarmine's Casey Willard as both held their opponents scoreless through the first six innings.

Lewis senior shortstop Kelly Dianis (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) quickly put an end to those thoughts in the seventh, as she launched a lead-off homer to help the Flyers break a scoreless tie and earn the 2-0 win.

Lyons (9-7) claimed the complete-game shutout victory, allowing just four hits and striking out seven batters. The shutout was her sixth of the season. Willard (13-14) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings of work.

Freshman catcher Mary Giancarlo (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) tacked on an insurance run for the Flyers in the seventh with a RBI double.

In game two, Bellarmine jumped out to an early 4-0 lead over the Flyers behind a two-run double from shortstop Caroline McCauley and a two-run homer from catcher Jordan Basham. Basham and McCauley combined to go 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI in game two.

The Flyers, who were held scoreless for five innings, took advantage of two Bellarmine errors and scored four runs, three of which were unearned, roped five hits in the sixth inning and evened the score at 4-apiece. Lewis junior second baseman Kara Harmatys (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) went 2-for-3 including a RBI single in the sixth.

Errors also proved to be the downfall for the Flyers in the sixth inning, as the Lewis defense committed two miscues that led to a pair of unearned runs and the Bellarmine victory.

Wingerter (6-4) took the loss for the Flyers, allowing five runs and five hits in five innings of work. Willard tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory for the Knights.

Lewis returns to action on Saturday, as they head to Highland Heights, Kentucky to square off with Northern Kentucky for a GLVC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.

A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.

##LEWIS##