Belles Close Trip With Split

Pitt-Bradford Box Score
Curry Box Score

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team bounced back from a 2-1 loss to Pitt-Bradford with a strong 9-1 win in five innings against Curry to close out their spring trip to the Sunshine State.

The Belles got out of a jam in the top of the first as the Panthers left runners on second and third in the opening frame. Saint Mary's also threatened in the first as Victoria Connelly singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and got to third on a wild pitch only to stay 60 feet away from scoring the first run of the game.

The Panthers broke through with the first run in the top of the third back-to-back singles and a passed ball with two outs. Pitt-Bradford extended their lead in the top of the fifth with an unearned run after a pair of errors.

Saint Mary's cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth after Morgan Bedan and Callie Selner hit back-to-back doubles for the Belles. Jillian Busfield singled and Kayla Chapman drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but the Belles would leave the bases loaded.

Victoria Connelly was 2-for-4 with two singles while Callie Selner was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a double.

Sarah Burke was handed the loss after allowing seven hits, one walk, and one earned run with five strikeouts over seven innings of play.

In game two against Curry, the Belles had to come back from a 1-0 deficit after the first three innings after the Colonels pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the third. Saint Mary's tied it up in the top of the fourth with an unearned run of their own after a pair of Colonel errors and a fielder's choice allowed Ashley Watkins to score.

Saint Mary's broke the game open in the top of the fifth with an eight-run outburst. Emily Sherwood set the tone with a lead-off triple and scored on a grounder by Connelly that was bobbled. Two batters later, Morgan Bedan singled to put runners at the corners. On a double-steal, Bedan moved up to second while Connelly scored.

Bedan later scored on a single by Sarah Callis, and Jillian Busfield, who reached on an error, scored on a single by Kayla Chapman. After Cecily Medina drew a pinch hit walk, Sherwood tallied her second hit of the inning with a two-RBI single to plate Callis and Chapman. Connelly then topped off the scoring by driving in a pair with a double to right field.

The Colonels were retired in order in the fifth as Callie Selner picked up her third win in-a-row. The junior allowed one unearned run on just two hits with eight strikeouts and no walks over five innings in the circle.

Emily Sherwood was 3-for-3 with a triple, two runs batted in, and two runs scored. Sarah Callis was 2-for-2 with an RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Morgan Bedan was 2-for-3 in game two with a run scored.

The Belles (5-5) are back in action next week when they are scheduled to travel to Carthage for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 19.