Belles Split with Thunder

Game One Box Score - Game Two Box Score

• Caitlyn Migawa was 2-for-4 in the opener with two RBI.
• Morgan Raymer went the distance in the circle, scattering five hits and surrendering two runs while striking out nine.
• Raymer added a 3-for-4 effort in game two, and Kelsey Richards went 3-for-3 in the nightcap.

WHEATON, Ill. - The Saint Mary's softball team took a 4-2 (8 innings) win over Wheaton before falling 8-6 in a darkness-shortened game two.

The Belles took a quick lead in the top of the first inning against the Thunder. Krystal Harris reached on an error by the Wheaton shortstop and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Jamie Young. After another error by the shortstop put runners on the corners, Morgan Raymer drove in Harris on an infield ground out to put Saint Mary's ahead 1-0.

Wheaton responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. A one-out double followed by a two-out single plated a run to knot the game at 1-1 through one complete.

The score remained unchanged until the fifth inning. Kelsey Richards reached on a fielder's choice with two outs and moved to second on a single through the right side by Alison Alberts. Harris then drove in Richards from second with a two-out single to center field to give the Belles a 2-1 edge.

The Thunder came back with their own two-out rally in the bottom half of the inning. After a lead-off walk to start the inning, the Belles got back-to-back outs on fly outs to left field. A triple, however, drove in the tying run and put the go-ahead runner on third. Morgan Raymer shut the door on the Wheaton offense with a strikeout looking to end the threat.

Each side got a runner on second - Wheaton in the sixth and Saint Mary's in the seventh - but neither side advanced the go-ahead run any further. The Belles broke through in a big way in the top of the eighth. Cassie Young hit a one-out double to left field, and Morgan Raymer drew a walk to put a pair aboard. Makenzie Duncan had a ground out which advanced both runners into scoring position with two outs. Caitlyn Migawa then delivered a decisive single to left field to plate both Young and Raymer, giving the Belles the 4-2 advantage. A one-two-three inning in the bottom half of the eighth lifted Saint Mary's to the extra-inning win by the final 4-2 margin.

Migawa was 2-for-4 in the opener with two RBI. Krystal Harris added a 2-for-4 effort with a run scored and an RBI. Cassie Young laced a double and scored a run. Morgan Raymer went the distance in the circle, scattering five hits and surrendering two runs while striking out nine.

Saint Mary's got off on the right foot in game two with two runs in the top of the first inning. Cassie Young hit a two-out single through the left side, and Morgan Raymer followed suit with a single. A fielding error by the second baseman then allowed Young to score from second, and a fielding error by the left fielder a batter later plated Raymer from second for the 2-0 lead.

Wheaton came back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, and the Thunder doubled their run output with three more runs in the bottom of the second for a 6-2 lead.

The Belles made a big dent in the deficit in the top of the third inning. Jamie Young reached on an error and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Cassie Young. Raymer collected her second single in as many at-bats to put runners on the corners. Makenzie Duncan delivered a double to center field to push Young across the plate. Caitlyn Migawa added a single to center field to plate Raymer. Two batters later, Kelsey Richards had a clutch single through the left side to drive in Migawa to pull the Belles within 6-5.

The Thunder, however, scored runs for the third consecutive inning by plating two in the bottom of the third to regain an 8-5 cushion. Saint Mary's put runners on board in the fourth and fifth, but both times, the Belles were unable to cut into the Wheaton lead. In the top of the seventh with light dwindling, Morgan Raymer led things off with a double to left field. Megan Knudsen came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a passed ball. Two batters later, an error by the shortstop allowed Kundsen to score while making it an 8-6 score. The game, however, ended there on account of darkness as the Thunder took the 8-6 decision.

Kelsey Richards went 3-for-3 in game two with an RBI. Morgan Raymer was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Caitlyn Migawa had two RBI, and Makenzie Duncan had an RBI, a run scored, and a double.

Mary Green shouldered the loss in the circle as she and Jessica Alberts were each tagged with a pair of earned runs in the first two-plus innings. Zoe Bruni closed out the final 4.1 innings of work and surrendered one earned run.

The Belles (6-8) take on North Central on Saturday starting at 2:00 p.m. CDT in Naperville.