Belles Wrap Up Spring Trip with Wins
Wooster Box Score - Curry Box Score
CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team concluded their spring break trip to Florida with a 3-0 win over Wooster and a 4-3 victory against Curry.
The defense was key to the Belles' 3-0 win against Wooster to open the day. In the second, third, and fourth innings, the Scots put at least one runner in scoring position with less than two outs. After a lead off double and a walk by Wooster to start the second inning, Callie Selner chalked up a strikeout while her defense made a pair of putouts on bunt attempts.
In the third inning, the Scots followed up a one-out triple to right center field with a walk to put runners on second and third. Again, the defense came up with the plays by corralling a pair of pop ups to strand the pair. Wooster started off the bottom of the fourth with a lead off triple, but the Belles stymied the threat yet again with a foul pop up, a strikeout, and an infield pop up.
The Belles carried that defensive momentum over to offense in the top of the fifth. Angela Dainelli pushed a out-out single through the left side of the field and stole second base to get into scoring position. Moranda Hegedus followed up Dainelli with an infield single to put runners at the corners. Two batters later, Kayla Chapman drove in Dainelli with a single to right field.
Saint Mary's shut down the Scots yet again in the sixth by forcing Wooster to strand runners at first and second with no outs thanks to a pair of strikeouts and a foul pop up out.
The Belles plated a pair in the top of the seventh inning to add some insurance to the lead. Cecily Reyes led off the inning by reaching on an error by the Scots' third baseman. Maria Roberts came in to pinch run and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Callis. After Roberts moved up 60 feet on a passed ball, Dainelli drove Roberts home with an RBI single to left field. Hegedus added a single, and Chapman was later hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases. Caitlyn Migawa then drove Dainelli home with an RBI single to right field to put the Belles up 3-0.
Wooster made one last push to get on the scoreboard with a pair of two-out singles, but Callie Selner made the final out by collecting a pop up in front of the pitching circle to end the game.
Callie Selner picked up victories in both
games to take over the school record
for career pitching wins.Selner earned the eleventh shutout victory of her career while scattering six hits and striking out seven.
Angela Dainelli, Moranda Hegedus, and Jillian Busfield all went 2-for-3 at the plate. Dainelli had a hand in each of the Belles' runs by scoring twice and driving in a run.
The Belles jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two innings against Curry in the second game of the day.
Victoria Connelly and Kayla Chapman hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the first and moved up on a ground out by Caitlyn Migawa. Callie Selner then belted a two-run double to the right center gap to plate Connelly and Chapman for the Belles.
In the bottom of the second, Moranda Hegedus reached on a fielder's choice, moved up to second on a throwing error, and advanced to third on a wild pitch with two outs. Victoria Connelly hit a soft grounder to the second baseman and beat out the play, allowing Hegedus to score the third run for Saint Mary's.
Sarah Burke was in control early and held the Curry batters without a hit until the top of the fifth inning before striking out the side. An inning later, however, the Colonels strung together four hits to plate two runs. Callie Selner entered in relief and struck out the lone hitter she faced in the sixth to keep the Belles ahead 3-2.
Curry kept their momentum going in the top of the seventh. Faced with their last at bats, the Colonels put their first runner on board via an error which also allowed the runner to move to second. After a sacrifice bunt, Curry tied the game with a two-out single.
Needing just one run to end the game in the bottom half of the inning, it did not take long for the Belles to put the contest away. Chapman and Migawa laced back-to-back one-out singles, and Selner ended the game with a ground rule double to plate Chapman from second base.
Selner took the pitching win in game two for the 40th victory of her career, which is the most all-time among Saint Mary's pitchers in program history. Sarah Burke had a no decision after going five and two-thirds innings with nine strikeouts.
Selner also added a 3-for-3 performance at the plate with three doubles, three RBIs, and a walk. Victoria Connelly, Kayla Chapman, and Caitlyn Migawa each added two hits in the win for the Belles.
Saint Mary's (6-4) is scheduled to return to action when they host Wheaton on Saturday, March 22 at 1:00 p.m. for a doubleheader.