LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 13, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team took game one over Bellarmine 15-2 on Saturday in Louisville before the Knights evened the series with a 12-11 walk-off win in the second game of the doubleheader. 
 
The Lions move to 12-20 on the season, while the Knights move to 6-28. UNA now has a 4-10 record in Atlantic Sun Conference play, while Bellarmine is one game ahead at 5-9.
 
North Alabama 15, Bellarmine 2
 
The North Alabama offense exploded for five home runs in the first game in a dominant victory over the Knights. Bryant Loving, Levi Jensen and Jackson Ferrigno all launched long balls while Kyle Machado tabbed two of his own. The five home runs are the most by UNA in a single game in the Division I era. 
 
The Lions wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Saturday, tabbing four runs in the first inning on five hits. Machado, Jensen, Andrew knight and Cal Cook each brought home a runner in the first frame, giving the Lions an early advantage. Bellarmine picked up a run in the home half, sending UNA back to the plate with a 4-1 lead. 
 
Machado picked up his second RBI of the game on a solo shot in the second and UNA starting pitcher Jacob James settled in with a scoreless second inning. Bellarmine made an early call to the bullpen in the third inning before UNA bolstered the lead. 
 
Jensen and Jonathan Lane singled to open up the frame before Leighton Jenkins picked up a pair of RBIs on a single up the middle. Ferrigno singled home a third North Alabama runner before Machado capped off the third inning scoring with a sacrifice fly. The Knights notched a solo homer in the bottom of the third to cut the Lion advantage to 9-2. 
 
Loving picked up the first home run of his career on a fifth inning solo shot before Jensen followed suit with a solo homer of his own in the sixth. 
 
James finished his evening on the mound after picking up his 11th strikeout of the afternoon while only allowing five hits, two walks and two runs across 6.0 innings. The UNA southpaw finished the game with 250 career strikeouts, just 30 shy of tying Chad Boughner as the all-time North Alabama leader for strikeouts. 
 
Ferrigno launched a two-run home run in the seventh to put UNA up 13-2 before Machado followed up with a two-run homer of his own just two batters later, giving North Alabama a 15-2 advantage. The game ended after seven innings due to a run rule.
 
Each member of the North Alabama lineup picked up at least one hit in the afternoon, while six Lion batters enjoyed a multi-hit game. Machado and Ferrigno each picked up three hits in game one. 
 
UNA's 13-run margin of victory is the best margin of victory since the Lions made the jump to Division I in 2019.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Jacob James (4-2)
L – Sam Matherly (0-1)
S – None
 
Bellarmine 12, North Alabama 11
 
Entering the eighth inning tied at 9-9, Knight took a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run to put UNA up 10-9. Bellarmine tied things up in the eighth before walking UNA off in the ninth to even the series at one game apiece. 
 
UNA jumped out in front again in the second game of the afternoon, with North Alabama putting up five runs in the first inning. A balk opened up the scoring before Jensen doubled home a pair of North Alabama runners. A bases loaded walk and an infield single from Ferrigno left North Alabama up 5-0 after the first. UNA combined for nine first inning runs across the two games on Saturday.
 
Machado drew a bases loaded walk to pick up his sixth RBI of the game before UNA pushed a runner across on a wild pitch to make it 7-0 UNA after two innings. Bellarmine responded in the third, putting up a four spot on three hits. 
 
Cook brought home Lane on a single to left field, extending the North Alabama lead to 8-4 before the Knights tallied a pair of runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning. 
 
Frei doubled home a runner in the top of fifth before Brycen Parrish entered out of the bullpen and tossed a scoreless inning, leaving the Lions up 9-6 with four innings to go.
 
Bellarmine scored a run in the sixth before a two-run triple in the seventh knotted the two squads at 9-9. UNA regained the lead courtesy of a Knight home run and a Loving sacrifice fly before the Knights responded with two runs of their own in the eighth. 
 
Bellarmine loaded the bases with one out in the ninth in an 11-11 tie before walking off the Lions on a wild pitch following a strikeout. 
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Nolan Pender (1-4)
L – Caleb Menina (1-2)
S – None
 
COMING UP NEXT
 
UNA and Bellarmine return to the diamond for the series deciding match on Sunday, April 14 at noon. 
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.