Belles Sweep Brits in MIAA Opener
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Jillian Busfield hit three home runs, Kayla Chapman added two of her own, and Emily Sherwood went yard for the first time in her career as the Saint Mary's softball team swept their first MIAA doubleheader of the season by 9-4 and 21-4 (5 innings) scores against Albion.
The Belles set the tone early in the opener by retiring the Brits in order in the top and plating four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Emily Sherwood and Morgan Bedan had back-to-back singles, Callie Selner laced a double down the right field line, and Jillian Busfield added a single of her own to get the scoring started. Two batters later, Kayla Chapman had a two-out, two RBI single to center field to put Saint Mary's up 4-0.
After Albion notched a two-out home run in the top of the third, the Belles responded to power with power as Busfield and Chapman had no-doubt home runs well beyond the left field fence to put Saint Mary's up 6-2 after three complete.
Emily Sherwood had her first career
home run in the game one win.Saint Mary's pushed the lead to 8-2 in the fourth as Ashley Watkins and Emily Sherwood both scored on a two-out single to left-center field by Selner. The Brits plated a pair of unearned runs in the sixth on an error, but the Belles responded again in the bottom half of the inning. Emily Sherwood notched her first career home run to left field to lead off the inning for the Belles' ninth run of the game.
Callie Selner picked up the win in the circle in the opener after allowing just two earned runs on three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Emily Sherwood, Morgan Bedan, and Jillian Busfield all went 3-for-4 in the game one victory. Sherwood had a home run, scored three runs, and drove in a run. Bedan scored once with three singles. Busfield added a home run, drove two in, and scored twice. Kayla Chapman was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, and a run scored, and Callie Selner helped her own cause with a 2-for-4 effort with a double, three RBIs, and a run scored.
Game two saw the Belles score early and often as they pushed six runs across in the first, three in the second, two in the third, and ten in the fifth. Albion tallied four runs in the first inning, but the Brits stranded runners at second and third in both the second and fourth as Saint Mary's kept Albion off the scoreboard after the first.
Saint Mary's sent 43 batters to the plate in the game two win and hit through the lineup in both the first and fifth innings.
Jillian Busfield hit three home runs
against Albion on Saturday.Jillian Busfield was 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, six RBIs, and four runs scored. Morgan Bedan, Callie Selner, and Kayla Chapman all added three hits for the Belles. Bedan had a double and scored four runs; Selner had three singles, three runs batted in, and five runs scored; and Chapman had a home run, a walk, three runs, and four RBIs. Victoria Connelly and Emily Sherwood also recorded multiple hits in the win.
The offensive output was more than enough for Sarah Burke in the circle in game two. The freshman earned the win after allowing three earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
The Belles (10-8, 2-0 MIAA) travel to Chicago tomorrow afternoon to take on North Park in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. CST.