LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 6, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team dropped its doubleheader against Bellarmine on Sunday afternoon in Louisville, Ky. The Lions dropped the first game 5-3 before taking the Knights to an extra inning, where they fell 11-10. 

Game 1 - Bellarmine 5, North Alabama 3

The Lions (8-19, 5-5 ASUN) hit .176 on the afternoon, earning six hits in game one. Freshman Petey Craska earned three walks on the day while Jonathan Lane and Leighton Jenkins both went 1-for-4 with a run. 

Pinch hitter Wes Walker earned a hit and RBI in his only plate appearance. Ryker Billingsley and Zak Maker earned the other two RBIs for the game. Tripp Patterson got the start and went six innings for four strikeouts with 91 total pitches. Dylan Morrill stopped in for the final two innings and threw five strikeouts eight batters faced. 

Bellarmine (7-22, 3-7 ASUN) had a couple of innings where a couple of runs came together for them to outlast the Lions. Two different innings with a home run gave the Knights the advantage.

Bellarmine started early with a solo shot home run in the bottom of the first to give them a quick lead, 1-0. 

It was not until the third inning that North Alabama would respond. Jenkins singled to shortstop and then a throwing error paved way for him to get to second. Majer moved him around by hitting one to first. Billingsley sent one to short which allowed Jenkins to tie the game. 

All grew quiet until the bottom of the sixth. A Knight singled and the next doubled to place two runners in scoring position. The next batter singled up the middle to score both and extend the lead 3-1. 

Morrill came in for Patterson and immediately went to work. He struck the first two batters out swinging and caught the last one looking to end his first inning on the mound. 

For the bottom of the eighth, the Knights big bats showed. They singled again and after a groundout and then wild pitch, a runner sat on third. The next batter sent a two-run shot down the right field line to make it 5-1.

Captain Lane opened the top of the ninth with a single to right field. Alex Wade then walked for the bases to host two. Wes Walker stepped in with a single to right center that score Lane and moved Wade to third. Majer reached on a fielder's choice but Walker was out at second as Wade scored.

The Lions comeback bid fell short as the final batter went down swinging. 

Pitchers of Record
W – Chase Carver (2-4)
L –  Tripp Patterson (2-4)
S – Blake Donnan (2)

Game 2 - Bellarmine 11, North Alabama 10 — (10 innings)

The Lions (8-20, 5-6 ASUN) in game two were drastically different. They put up 10 runs, most of all season as the previous best came against St. Louis with eight. Their nine RBIs becomes a new team season high, as does their 11 walks. 

Bryant Loving boasts the most at-bats in a game now with six as he went .500 on the afternoon while adding two RBIs. 

Craska went 1-for-2 on the afternoon with two runs and a double. In game one, he tied the most walks by a player in a game with three. He broke that record in game two with four.

Lane went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Billingsley added two runs while each of Matthew Delgado, Wes Walker, Rippen and Ryan West add their own run. 

Delgado added three RBIs in game two to lead the team and added his third home run of the season in the top of the fifth. 

Bellarmine (8-22, 4-7 ASUN) took the bottom of the seventh to etch themselves back into this and took it to extra innings before walking it off with a single to right center. Bellarmine's Charlie Rife led all hitters with four for the second game. The Knights now have six of their eight wins this year when scoring double digit runs. 

This one went the exact opposite of the first, tons of runs and North Alabama struck first. 

Lane reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second to get into scoring position in the top of the second. Loving singled up the middle to score Lane for the 1-0 lead. 
It was the bottom of the fourth when Bellarmine answered. The Knights reached on a fielding error at third while two groundouts moved the runner around. A walk put runners on the corners and the runner tried to steal.

However, Delgado caught him stealing as they got the runner into a run down situation while the other third base runner scored to tie the game. 

North Alabama answered, and in a big way. Billingsley walked for the top of the fifth. Then Craska notched one of his four walks right after. Delgado got his third homer to clear the bases and regain the lead.

Wes Walker then singled to center field and Rippen walked to put two on base. Lane singled to load the bases. West steps in with a big double down the left field line to score Walker and Rippen for two RBIs.

Loving then singled again for Lane to score and Jenkins laid down a sacrifice bunt for West to score to conclude a seven-run inning and an 8-1 lead. 

To answer, Anthony Pingeton got the start and in the bottom of the fifth struck out two Knights before getting the third by way of ground out. 

Craska doubled to open the top of the sixth and then Delgado walked to have two on base. The next batter grounded into a double play but it pushed Craska to third. Rippen walked to place runners on the corners before Lane singled up the middle to score Craska and add some cushion, 9-1. 

But Bellarmine was not done yet. In the bottom of the seventh, they mounted their comeback. A couple of singles forced Pingeton off the mound and brought in Carson Howard. A hit batter scored one and kept the bases loaded. The next walked which scored another and brought in Gavin Oswald to the rubber.

A single and three consecutive walks scored three more and then Brough John Allen Stogner into the game for the Lions. 

UNA got the force out at first and got another by fly out before catching the final out swinging at the plate. The Knights concluded their eight run, four hit inning leaving the game tied 9-9. 

The Lions were held scoreless in the top of the eighth. The Knights answered their seventh with another in the bottom as two singles and a throwing error helped Bellarmine take the lead, 10-9.

Billingsley walked to open the ninth. Craska earned another walk for two quick base runners. The next Lion grounded into a double play but helped Billingsley get 90-feet away for the tying run. Alex Wilson stepped in as a pinch hitter and during that at-bat, Billngsley scored on a wild pitch to tie the game and send it to extra innings. 

North Alabama added a couple of hits to their total in the top of the 10th but could not get the winning run. Bellarmine saw a couple hits which scored the walk off run in the bottom of the inning. 


Pitchers of Record
W – Cooper Hellman (2-3)
L –  J.A. Stogner  (0-1)
S – N/A


COMING UP NEXT

The Lions compete in game three of the series with Bellarmine starting tomorrow at 10 a.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.