Belles Bounce Back from Early Loss to End Trip With Win
CLERMONT, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team salvaged a split on their final day of play in the Spring Games. After dropping their morning game against Stockton by a 4-1 score, the Belles defeated Transylvania in a 3-2 game.
In the opening game of the day, neither team had immense levels of success at the plate. The Ospreys and the Belles combined for just seven total hits. Stockton accounted for five of those hits, which yielded three earned runs for the Ospreys.
The first of those runs came in the bottom of the first inning on a single followed two batters later by a double.
Morgan Raymer threw a complete
game victory against Transylvania.The Belles were poised to get that run and more back in the top of the second inning. Back-to-back fielder's choices put Kayla Chapman and Angela Dainelli on the base paths. A third fielder's choice saw Dainelli forced out at second base while moving Chapman to third as Caitlyn Migawa made it safely to first on the play. Makenzie Duncan struck out swinging but was able to make it safely to first on a dropped third strike to load the bases. The Belles, however, were unable to capitalize on the opportunity as a fly out to left field ended the inning.
Stockton made it a 2-0 game through three complete after pushing an unearned run across with a walk, a passed ball, and a defensive error. The Ospreys doubled that lead in the bottom of the fifth after scoring two runs on three hits.
The Belles were able to break through with a run in the top of the sixth inning while gaining some momentum in the process. Cassie Young led off the inning with a double to left-center field and moved up to third on an infield ground out. Chapman drew a one-out walk to put runners at the corners for Saint Mary's. Dainelli then punched a grounder to shortstop, which allowed Young to score from third base.
Saint Mary's, however, was unable to cut further into the deficit as the Ospreys claimed the 4-1 final.
Cassie Young and Jillian Busfield had the lone hits in the game for the Belles. Young had a double and scored a run while also drawing a walk. Sarah Burke threw all six innings and struck out four while scattering five hits.
The second game was scoreless until the bottom of third inning when Caitlyn Migawa blasted a solo home run to give the Belles the early 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers responded half an inning later in the top of the fourth inning by scoring two runs to go ahead 2-1.
Caitlyn Migawa hit her first
collegiate home run while leading
the Belles with 2 RBIs.The lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the fourth, Kayla Raymer, Kayla Chapman, and Morgan Raymer each had singles to load the bases. Migawa drove in Kayla Raymer from third base to knot the game at 2-2.
Two innings later, Jillian Busfield hit a single and Morgan Raymer added another hit to help her own cause. Nina Vlahiotis, who came in to pinch run for Busfield, scored the game-winning run on a single by Makenzie Duncan.
The Pioneers did not go down quietly in the top of the seventh. Transylvania put the lead off hitter on base after a defensive error by the Belles. On the ensuing sacrifice bunt attempt, Busfield cut down the lead runner after popping up from behind the plate, picking up the bunt in front of the plate, and firing a bullet down to second base. Morgan Raymer, who was working on the complete game in the circle, picked up her sixth strikeout to put the Belles one out away from the win. Transylvania kept it interesting with a single to put the tying run at second, but Raymer registered another strikeout to end the game.
Morgan Raymer earned her first complete game victory in the circle for the Belles while striking out seven. She also had a pair of hits to help pace the offense. Caitlyn Migawa had the first home of her collegiate career while driving in two and scoring a run.
The Belles (8-2) are scheduled to host Dominican on Sunday, March 22 starting at 1:00 p.m.