FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama softball team hit five home runs on the day while starting pitchers Maci Birdyshaw and Elena Escobar each notched complete-game victories as the Lions picked up two home wins over Bellarmine. The 9-0 and 2-1 victories give UNA a 29-11 overall record with an 8-6 mark in ASUN Conference play.

In the opener, home runs resulted in eight of the team's nine runs in the mercy-rule victory. A grand slam by Harley Stokes in the bottom of the fifth inning ended the game in walk-off fashion. The senior from Demopolis now has 43 career homers for the Lions, including five grand slams.

After taking a 4-0 lead into the fifth inning, the Lions loaded the bases with two outs. Lexie Harper scored from third on a wild pitch before a walk by Emma Broadfoot again put four runners on for Stokes. The first baseman homered to dead center to end the game in just over an hour of playing time.

UNA led off the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back home runs by Brooke Burback and Haven Kirby. The two solo shots by the No. 8 and No. 9 hitters in the lineup gave the Lions a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Hailey Jones drew a leadoff walk before Georgia Land hit a two-run shot to right center to extend the lead to 4-0.

Birdyshaw made sure the lead held. The sophomore from Lawrenceburg, Tenn., recorded the one-hit shutout by working all five innings and striking out seven batters. She only allowed one walk and improved to 13-2 on the season.

Five different UNA players had one hit each.

In the second game, it was Escobar's time to shine in the circle. The true freshman from Spring Hill, Tenn., took a shutout into the seventh inning before a solo homerun gave the Knights their first run of the day. She finished the game with a season-high eight strikeouts after allowing a single run off five hits in seven innings of work.

The Lions plated their only two runs in the bottom of the first and second innings. Sidney Bevis walked and later scored from first on an RBI-double by Hailey Jones to give UNA a 1-0 lead.

Land then led off the second inning with her second home run of the day. She now leads the ASUN with 12 homers on the year.

The two teams are set to wrap up the three-game series with a single game on Saturday morning. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at the Hilda B. Anderson Softball Complex.