LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 29, 2026) – The University of North Alabama softball team completed a dominant weekend at Bellarmine, finishing a three-game sweep with a 12-2 thumping of the Knights on Sunday afternoon in Louisville, Ky.
With the win, UNA improved to 24-8 overall and 7-2 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Lions remain tied with Eastern Kentucky atop the ASUN Gold Division standings following EKU's three-game sweep of Lipscomb this weekend.
Bellarmine suffers its first conference sweep of the season, falling to 10-23 overall and 3-6 in conference play.
This is the fourth time UNA has played a three-game series this season. All four have resulted in series wins with two being sweeps. The Lions swept Evansville in non-conference play and took two of three from both ASUN foes Central Arkansas and Austin Peay.
Following 10-0 and 17-6 wins yesterday, North Alabama completed the road sweep at Bellarmine and set a new Division I record for most runs scored in a three-game set with 39. The previous record was set against Jacksonville in 2022 with 31 runs, including 9-7, 9-6 and 13-5 victories.
Fifth-year senior Alivia Wilken pitched 6.0 shutout innings for the win, improving to 10-4 this season. She allowed just two hits — both singles — and did not walk anyone. She faced the minimum with her first 15 batters, allowing a single that was quickly erased on a double play by junior second baseman Briley Dover with a catch and throw to sophomore first baseman Holly Merritt.
Wilken added three strikeouts in the effort. Meanwhile, senior Rylee Tittle came on to close the seventh and closed it out with just two runs allowed — only one earned — with a strikeout.
UNA finished with 12 runs on six hits, maximizing its opportunities and taking advantage of four errors from Bellarmine. Three of the six hits were home runs from Merritt, Dover and sophomore Jenna Madison, resulting in seven RBI.
Merritt and Madison led the team with four RBI apiece. UNA has had four players accomplish four or more RBI in a single game this season, with Merritt doing so for the fourth time this year. Madison did it for the first time in her career today and joins Dover and true freshman Karley Moreland with four RBI games this season.
The Lions struck first in the top of the second as a two out error allowed junior Emma Kate Wright to reach safely. In the next at-bat, Madison got a perfect 2-1 pitch and sent it over the left-center fence to give UNA a 2-0 lead. Dover hit a solo shot in the third to make it 3-0.
UNA used baserunning ability to add two more in the fourth, as senior Laura Leigh Wheeler drew a walk and gave way to senior speedster Katie Davis on the base paths. Davis stole second, tagged up and got to third on a flyout, then scored on a wild pitch. Madison hit an RBI groundout to score Moreland to make it 5-0.
Madison extended the lead again in the sixth with her fourth RBI of the day, bringing in Moreland once again to make it 6-0. Wilken completed another shutout inning in the bottom frame.
Three runners reached in the seventh with nobody out, bringing up Merritt — UNA's home run leader with 12 this season. Her 12th was a grand slam to make it 10-0. Pinch hitters Hailey Minchew and Kylei Russell had RBI hits later in the inning for more insurance.
Bellarmine finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh before a pop out smothered the small rally.
Pitchers of Record
W – Alivia Wilken (10-4)
L – Lele Bennett (5-9)
S – None
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama returns home next weekend to host Lipscomb at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium. The series begins Friday, April 3 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader and ends Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m.
Friday will be UNA's "Strike Out Sexual Assault" games to help raise awareness. Fans are encouraged to bring individually-packaged snacks to donate to One Drive of the Shoals at the main gate.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
