LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Truman State University softball team was held to just one run in a game-one loss at Bellarmine on Monday afternoon in The Bluegrass State before the bats came to life in the nightcap. The Bulldogs exploded for nine runs on 12 hits to cruise past the Knights in five innings thanks to the run rule, 9-1.

With the split, Truman is now 33-19 overall and 16-10 in the GLVC with four games to play in the 2017 regular season, all of which will be at home inside Truman Softball Park. On the other side, Bellarmine is two games below the .500 mark at 24-26 including a mark of 12-14 in league play. Monday, the Bulldogs were led by Christa Reisinger (4-for-8, one run scored, one double, two RBI, five total bases, and one stolen base) while a trio of players had three base knocks each including Ashley Murphy (3-for-5), Riley Cook (3-for-6) and Valerie Schmidt (3-for-6).

In the first game, the home team took a 3-0 lead with all three runners touching home plate in the bottom of the third inning. The very next half, the visitors' lone score of the contest came when Lex Van Nostrand belted a solo home run to left, her 11th of the year and 30th of her career. That would do it for Truman's offensive output as Nicolette Simpson (13-7) took the loss after just two innings pitched with all three runs given up, two earned, six hits allowed, and one strikeout. In relief, Alyssa Hajduk provided four scoreless frames with just two hits surrendered, four free passes and one punchout.

In the nightcap, Truman's offense woke up and did so in a big way. The Bulldogs scored eight of their nine runs in the top of the first with the ninth coming across in the top of the second. All but two of the nine players in the Purple and White's starting lineup found the hit column, three of them had multiple hits and two players, Murphy and Cook, discovered that column three times in the seventh and eighth spots, respectively.

For Lauren Dale (16-6) in the circle, it was the same story, just a different day for the sophomore who has won her last six decisions in a row. Dale threw all five innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. The sophomore hurler has been an absolute workhorse for Truman this season and among the GLVC's best, she is now tied for sixth in wins and 10th in innings pitched (138.1).

As mentioned above, the Bulldogs have four games to play in the 2017 regular season, all of which will be inside the friendly confines. The first two of those four will be against Saint Joseph's on Saturday with first pitch in game one set for 12 p.m.

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