No. 25 Belles Sweep No. 8 Thunder in Matchup of Nationally-Ranked Squads

Game One Box Score - Game Two Box Score

• Makenzie Duncan was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, a triple, three RBI, and two runs in game one.
• Jamie Young went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a run in game two.
• Morgan Raymer had the game-one win and a save in game two, and Jessica Alberts had the game-two victory in the circle.

NOTRE DAME, Ind - The No. 25 (NFCA Division III Top 25) ranked Saint Mary's softball team swept a league doubleheader against No. 8 Trine on Friday night by 7-4 and 7-5 scores.

The Thunder quickly put a pair of runs on the scoreboard with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. Trine kept the inning alive with a walk and a pair of passed balls to advance the runner to third. A foul pop out to Kelsey Richards, however, ended the inning. The Belles responded in an emphatic way in the bottom half of the inning. Jamie Young was hit by a pitch, and Kelsey Keilman drew a walk. Makenzie Duncan then belted a no-doubt home run to right-center field to give Saint Mary's the 3-2 lead through one complete.

Trine drew even in the top of the second inning. Three consecutive singles to start the inning quickly loaded the bases. Morgan Raymer wrung up a strikeout swinging, but the next Thunder batter was hit by a pitch to push a run across. Raymer then fielded a come-back grounder and got the force out at home, and Cassie Young shut the door on the bases-loaded threat with a fly out to center field. Saint Mary's responded again with a run of their own to regain the lead. JoAnna Keilman drew a one-out walk, and Alyssa Gutierrez singled through the left side. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, and Jamie Young hit a deep fly ball to right field to score Keilman on the sacrifice.

The Belles then gained a lot of momentum with a three-run fourth inning. A pair of fly outs quickly put two outs against Saint Mary's, but Jamie Young dropped a single down the left field line to keep the inning alive. Kelsey Keilman pushed a single up the middle to put two runners on base. Makenzie Duncan lifted a ball to left field which looked to be the third out of the inning, but an error by the Thunder's outfielder saw the ball fall as Young and Keilman both scored on the play. With Duncan standing on second as a result of the play, Cassie Young dropped in a single to score Duncan to give the Belles the 7-3 lead.

The Thunder responded with a run in the top of the fifth inning. A lead-off walk was followed by a single down the right field line to put runners on the corners. Raymer drew a pop up to Kelsey Richards at second base for the first out of the inning. Makenzie Duncan came up with a big catch on a hard-hit ball in right field, but the Trine runner successfully tagged up from third to score. Jamie Young put a stop to the inning with a ground out to keep the Belles up 7-4 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Megan Knudsen had a lead-off double in the fifth while Makenzie Duncan hit a two-out triple in the sixth, but neither runner was able to score an insurance run for the Belles. Raymer and the defense, however, did not need another insurance run. Saint Mary's had 1-2-3 innings on defense in both the sixth and the seventh innings to close out the 7-4 win.

Makenzie Duncan was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, a triple, three RBI, and two runs. Megan Knudsen went 2-for-3 with a double. Jamie Young had a 1-for-2 effort with a walk, a sacrifice fly, was hit by a pitch, and scored two runs.

Morgan Raymer went the distance in the circle as she scattered six hits and four walks over seven innings while striking out two.

The Belles threatened to get on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning of game two. Jamie Young singled to start the game before being forced out at second on a Kelsey Keilman fielder's choice. Makenzie Ducan laced a single up the middle, and Cassie Young beat out a bunt single. The Belles, however, left the bases loaded without inflicting any further damage.

A three-up, three-down inning defensively quickly put Saint Mary's back up to bat in the second. JoAnna Keilman had a lead-off walk, and Kelsey Richards beat out a bunt for a single. Alyssa Gutierrez took a pitch off of her helmet to load the bases. Jamie Young hit a deep ball to center field, and Keilman easily tagged up from third base for the sacrifice fly. Kelsey Keilman then hit an infield single to load the bases back up. Makenzie Duncan hit a sharp grounder to second base, which allowed Richards to score on the play. Cassie Young then dropped a triple into right field as Gutierrez and Keilman both scored to put the Belles up 4-0.

The Thunder plated an unearned run in the bottom of the third, but the Belles again came up with a big response. Alyssa Guiterrez led off the inning with a walk, and Jamie Young belted a home run to left field to push the Saint Mary's lead to 6-1. Trine cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth with a single, a passed ball, and another single. The Belles countered with a run of their own in the top of the sixth. Kelsey Keilman laced a single to right field and moved to second on a grounder back to the pitcher on Makenzie Duncan's at-bat. Cassie Young then added a single to right field, which allowed Keilman to score from second on the play to make the score 7-2.

Trine took a chunk out of the Belles' lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. An error prolonged the inning for the Thunder, and Trine capitalized. With runners on second and third with two outs, Makenna Hartline hit her second home run of the day to plate three runs. Morgan Raymer came on in relief of Jessica Alberts, and Raymer drew a pop up to end the inning.

The Belles loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning, but Saint Mary's was unable to push any additional runs across as the game moved to the bottom of the seventh. Makenzie Duncan collected a fly ball on the first at-bat of the inning, but back-to-back singles saw the Thunder put the tying runner on base. Kelsey Richards collected a grounder and flipped the ball to Jamie Young for a force out at second. With two outs gone, runners on the corners, and the potential game-winning run up to bat, Raymer drew a ground out to Alyssa Gutierrez to end the threat and the game with the 7-5 final score.

Cassie Young was 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI in game two. Kelsey Keilman posted a 3-for-5 effort with two runs, and Jamie Young went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a run. Alyssa Gutierrez was 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs, and was hit by a pitch. JoAnna Keilman and Kelsey Richards each scored, and Makenzie Duncan drove in a run.

Jessica Alberts picked up her 13th win of the season after going 5.2 innings in the circle, striking out one, walking three, and allowing just one earned run. Morgan Raymer picked up the save by closing out the final 1.1 innings and surrendering only two hits and no runs.

It is the first MIAA doubleheader sweep of Trine by the Belles since the 2006 season when the Belles won 6-5 and 6-0 over then-named Tri-State.

The Belles (28-2, 10-0 MIAA) have a break in action and return to competition on Thursday, April 19 when they travel to Hope for a conference doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.