Belles Prevail Against Lions, Vikings

Albright Box Score
Bethany Lutheran Box Score

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team earned a 4-0 win over Albright and a 5-3, 8 inning victory over Bethany Lutheran on day four of their spring break trip.

Against the Lions, the Belles plated a run in the bottom of the first inning. Victoria Connelly drew a walk, stole second, was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored easily on a single by Morgan Bedan.

The game was still 1-0 in favor of the Belles until the bottom of the fifth inning when Saint Mary's pushed three runs across on one out with four singles and a walk. Connelly, Bedan, Callie Selner, and Jillian Busfield all had hits while Ashley Watkins drew a walk for the offense.

The four-run output was more than enough for Sarah Burke in the circle. The freshman scattered six hits over seven innings, did not allow a walk or an extra base hit, and struck out nine for the shutout victory.

Bedan finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs while scoring a run. Victoria Connelly scored twice, and Watkins scored once.

In game two versus the Vikings, Saint Mary's plated a run in the first and another in the second. Victoria Connelly led off the game with a single, stole second, and scored with two outs on a single by Callie Selner. In the second inning, Kayla Chapman provided all the firepower on her own by blasting her first collegiate home run to center field.

The game remained 2-0 in favor of Saint Mary's until the bottom of the seventh. In their final at-bats, Bethany Lutheran had a one-out two-run double to tie the game. The next hitter for the Vikings singled to move the potential game-winning run to third base. Callie Selner shut down the comeback effort with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game alive.

The Belles rode that momentum into their at-bats with three runs on three hits and an error by the Vikings. Connelly, Morgan Bedan, and Selner all scored in the eighth. Bethany Lutheran scored a run in the bottom of the eighth, but the defense again shut down the Vikings as Selner notched two more strikeouts and forced a ground out for the extra-inning win.

Kayla Chapman went 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run, three singles, two runs batted in, and scored a run. Victoria Connelly and Callier Selner each added 2-for-4 efforts at the dish.

Selner continued to show her strength in the circle allowing just one earned run on five hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts in eight innings.

The Belles (4-4) will wrap up play with a pair of games beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday morning in Florida.

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