Belles Edge Out Muskies, Pioneers

Lakeland Box Score - Transylvania Box Score

• Jamie Young was 3-for-5 with four RBI and a double, and Krystal Harris went 3-for-5 at the dish and scored a run against Lakeland.
• Kelsey Keilman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Makenzie Duncan went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run against Transylvania.
• Jessica Alberts picked up the win in the first game, and Morgan Raymer had a save in game one and a win in game two.

LEESBURG, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team held off a seventh-inning rally against Lakeland for a 10-9 win before claiming a 3-1 win over Transylvania.

In the first game of the day, the Muskies pushed an unearned run run across in the bottom of the second inning for a 1-0 lead. The Belles posted two runs in the top of the fourth to claim the lead. Krystal Harris had a one-out single, and Makenzie Duncan walked. The pair advanced 60 feet on a passed ball and then scored on a single to left field by Cassie Young.

Lakeland knotted the score in the bottom of the fifth on a ground-rule double, a passed ball, and a sacrifice fly. Saint Mary's came right back with three runs in the top of the sixth to regain momentum. Three consecutive singles by Sydney Swartz, Megan Knudsen, and Kelsey Richards loaded the bases. Two batters later, Alyssa Gutierrez drove in Swartz with a sacrifice fly. Jamie Young then delivered a big blow with a two-out double to plate both Knudsen and Richards for the 5-2 lead.

The Belles added five more runs in the top of the seventh. Cassie Young and Swartz hit one-out singles to start the offense, and Knudsen reached on an error. Kelsey Richards then drove in Young and Swartz with a single. Knudsen scored on a passed ball, and Alyssa Gutierrez drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive with Richards standing on third. Gutierrez stole second, and Richards and Gutierrez scored on another clutch hit by Jamie Young to make it 10-2.

The Muskies nearly erased the eight-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh after four walks, two singles, and a grand slam made it a 10-9 game. The Belles shut the door on the rally, however, with a strikeout to end the game.

Zoe Bruni started the game and threw two complete innings. Jessica Alberts threw 4.1 innings in relief and eventually picked up the win in the circle. Mary Green faced a pair of batters in the seventh, and Morgan Raymer collected a two-out save.

Jamie Young was 3-for-5 with four RBI and a double, and Krystal Harris went 3-for-5 at the dish and scored a run. Cassie Young collected two hits, two RBI, and scored once. Sydney Swartz had a pair of hits and scored twice, and Kelsey Richards had two singles, two RBI, and two runs scored.

The Belles struck first in the second game of the day as Saint Mary's faced off against Transylvania. Kelsey Keilman had a one-out single to get the offense going in the bottom of the third inning. Makenzie Duncan added a single, and Cassie Young reached first on an in-field single of her own to load the bases. Sydney Swartz's batted ball back to the pitcher was erroneously played, allowing Keilman to score from third for the 1-0 lead.

Morgan Raymer got a strikeout looking and caught a come-backer to force the Pioneers into stranding a runner at third in the fourth inning. Transylvania broke up the shutout with an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but Raymer and the defense came up with a ground out and another strikeout looking to leave two runners in scoring position for the Pioneers.

Saint Mary's gained the lead right back in a big way in the bottom of the fifth. Kelsey Keilman led off the inning with a single, and Makenzie Duncan belted a home run over the center field fence to put the Belles ahead 3-1. Cassie Young added a single and advance to third on a sacrifice bunt by Swartz and a passed ball, but the Belles were unable to push the senior across in the frame.

Raymer, however, did not need the insurance run as the senior retired Transylvania in order in the sixth and faced four batters in the seventh before a ground out to Jamie Young ended the game by the 3-1 margin.

Kelsey Keilman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Makenzie Duncan went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run. Cassie Young collected a pair of hits.

Morgan Raymer earned the complete-game win in the circle after striking out seven, walking one, and not allowing an earned run.

The Belles (11-1) close out their trip to Florida on Friday when they take on Benedictine and Keene State.