The William Jewell softball team wrapped up the opening weekend of Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a split at Bellarmine, taking the first game 4-2 before falling 7-6 in nine innings. The Cardinals are now 9-11 overall and 2-2 in the GLVC.

GAME ONE | Cardinals 4 - Bellarmine 2
In the opener, junior Madi Giles accounted for all four RBI for the Cardinals with two extra base hits. After four scoreless innings, Ashlyn Sutton led off the fifth with a single through the left side before scoring on Giles' first hit of the day, a two-run home run to right field to put Jewell on top 2-0. 

The Knights got a run back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single before Giles again came up in the clutch in the top of the sixth with a two RBI double to bring Jewell's advantage to 4-1. 

Bellarmine made a push in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring one run on three hits before Anna Biondo closed the door. 

Biondo (7-3) earned the win with her sixth complete game of the year. The sophomore struck out eight while allowing two earned runs on nine hits, while allowing just one walk. 

GAME TWO | Cardinals 6 - Bellarmine 7 (9 Inn.)
Game two started off fast as the Cardinals scored three in the top of the first inning highlighted by Brooke Bernard's third home run of the season. Emily Hoover then scored on a throwing error to give Jewell an early 3-0 lead. 

The Knights rallied in the bottom of the second to tie the game, scoring three runs on two hits, and three walks. 

Jewell took a 4-3 lead as Lindsay Glynn scored on a ground out after reaching and advancing on two Bellarmine errors. The Cardinal lead was short lived however as the Knights scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth on two hits and a Cardinal error, before adding a run in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead. 

Down to their final two outs, the Cardinals rallied led by a solo home run from Emily Hoover, her sixth of the season. Giles followed with a single and scored the tying run on a double from Sutton to force extra innings. 

In the top of the eighth Jewell put loaded the bases but a ground out to shortstop ended the Cardinal threat. In the bottom of the ninth, Bellarmine's Rachel Fox led off with a single and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jewell educed a ground ball to shortstop and had Fox caught in a rundown but the Knight runner slipped past catcher Gabby Brown to score the winning run. 

Taylor Friesen (0-1) took the loss, going 3 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on just two hits. The Cardinals utilized four pitchers in the contest as Madelynne Greenstreet, Sarah Lewis, and Cheyenne Carpenter all appeared in at least one inning. The staff held Bellarmine to nine hits but also allowed nine base runners via the walk. 

Jewell outhit the Knights 10-9 led by three from Giles and two a piece from Hoover and Greenstreet. 

UP NEXT: 
Jewell will step out of GLVC play shortly as they travel to Lincoln on Thursday for a 2:30 p.m. double header. The Cardinals will return home to host Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's on Saturday and Sunday.