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Starting 5: Bellarmine baseball program mourns death of former player Ashton Smith, more

Ryan Black, Louisville Courier Journal
·6 min read
Ashton Smith, who played for the Bellarmine baseball team the past two seasons and graduated in May, died July 24. He was 23.
Ashton Smith, who played for the Bellarmine baseball team the past two seasons and graduated in May, died July 24. He was 23.

Ashton Smith, who played for the Bellarmine baseball team the past two seasons and graduated in May, died July 24. He was 23.

"I will always remember that smile and his infectious personality," Bellarmine baseball coach Chris Dominguez said in a statement. "He had a way with people, and loved the game. It was my pleasure to have coached you, Ash."

Smith, according to Bellarmine's new release, died unexpectedly. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Smith appeared in 44 games in two years with the Knights. During his junior season in 2022, he played in 24 contests (21 starts), attaining a .309 batting average in addition to 25 hits, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and 16 runs scored.

Before joining Bellarmine, where he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration at the end of the spring semester, Smith played at Rend Lake College in Illinois.

Smith was from Du Quoin, Illinois.

"Ashton always knew how to make everyone around him smile, laugh and feel loved," Smith's former Bellarmine teammate, Colin Bertsch, said in a statement. "He was more than just a teammate to me — he was a great friend — but, more importantly, an amazing family person who always talked about how much his family meant to him. He always put everyone else before himself. I'm devastated and heartbroken for his family and all his friends. There's a lot more to be said about who Ashton is and the impact he's made on every person who has met him."

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Brazil's Ary Borges, who is a midfielder for Racing Louisville FC, celebrates her hat trick goal during the Women's World Cup Group F soccer match between Brazil and Panama in Adelaide, Australia, July 24, 2023.
Brazil's Ary Borges, who is a midfielder for Racing Louisville FC, celebrates her hat trick goal during the Women's World Cup Group F soccer match between Brazil and Panama in Adelaide, Australia, July 24, 2023.

The stage wasn't too big for Ary Borges last week.

Borges, a midfielder for Racing Louisville FC, made her World Cup debut July 24 in Brazil's opener against Panama.

She had a performance for the ages, collecting a hat trick as she scored three of Brazil's four goals in a 4-0 victory.

Borges has made 14 starts (in 16 apperances) for Racing in 2023, playing 1,184 minutes and scoring two goals.

Each week we'll highlight what's going on in and around Louisville, from high school to pro sports, in our "Starting 5." Got a story to tell or a play of the week? Tweet at us @CJ_Sports. Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky softball star playing with Team USA, Racing in World Cup 2023