Belles Halt Rally for Sweep Against Hornets
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - After winning the opening game 10-3 in a conference doubleheader against Kalamazoo, the Saint Mary's softball team shut down the Hornets' comeback effort in game two for a 5-4 victory.
The Belles fell behind early in game one as the visiting Hornets struck with a run in the top of the first inning. Saint Mary's responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Emily Sherwood scored after back-to-back singles by Callie Selner and Jillian Busfield with two outs.
Kalamazoo pushed two more runs across with two outs in the top of the third inning to stake a claim to a 3-1 lead.
Saint Mary's made sure that lead was short-lived for the Hornets. Emily Sherwood had a lead off single, Morgan Bedan drew a walk, and Callie Selner helped her own cause in a big way with a three-run home run to right field to put the Belles up 4-3 through three complete.
The Belles added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Victoria Connelly scored from second on a double by Bedan.
In the bottom of the fifth, Saint Mary's ballooned that lead to 9-3 with four runs on four hits and a walk. Cecily Medina and Emily Sherwood both laced doubles and scored, Connelly added a single and scored, and Sarah Callis scored after drawing a lead off walk to start the inning.
Jillian Busfield added another insurance run for the Belles in the bottom of the sixth as she belted her tenth home run of the season over the left field fence for the tenth run for Saint Mary's.
Callie Selner went 4-for-4 with a
home run in game one while
picking up a win and a save in
the circle.The offense was more than enough for Callie Selner in the circle as the junior picked up the win after throwing all seven innings, walking one, striking out five, and allowing three earned runs.
Selner was 4-for-4 with a three-run home run and five RBIs in the game one win. Jillian Busfield went 3-for-3 at the dish in the 10-3 win with a solo home run. With her tenth home run of the season, Busfield ties the single season home run school record. Emily Sherwood was 2-for-2 with three runs scored.
In game two, the Belles broke through with a four-run third inning to take the upper hand after hitting through the line up. Victoria Connelly, Morgan Bedan, Kayla Chapman, Sarah Callis, and Angela Dainelli all tallied hits while Callie Selner and Ashley Watkins drew walks in the inning. Connelly, Bedan, Selner, and Chapman all scored.
The Hornets got on the scoreboard with a solo home run to lead off their at-bats in the fourth inning, but the Belles were able to respond in the top of the fifth with what proved to be an important run. Kayla Chapman led off the fifth with a single through the left side and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Callis. Chapman then moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch to give Saint Mary's the 5-1 lead.
Kalamazoo was retired in order in the fifth, but the Hornets did not go quietly in the sixth as they scored three runs on a two-out double to right-center field to cut the lead to 5-4. Down to their last chance in the seventh, Kalamazoo got a one-out single up the middle before Callie Selner came on in relief. The junior drew a fly out and a line drive out to end the game to earn the save and secure the win for the Belles.
Victoria Connelly, Morgan Bedan, and Kayla Chapman all had a pair of hits to lead the Belles. Sarah Burke took the win in the circle after allowing just one earned run on six hits in 6.1 innings. Callie Selner, meanwhile, picked up her first career save.
The Belles (19-13, 9-3 MIAA) travel to no. 4 ranked Trine tomorrow for a conference doubleheader against the Thunder beginning at 3:30 p.m.