Belles Split Doubleheader with Cardinals

Game One Box Score - Game Two Box Score

• Madelynne Keller was 3-for-4 with four RBI and a double to help lead the Belles in game one while Cassie Young collected her 100th career RBI.
• Jamie Young went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI to lead the way in game two.
• Jessica Alberts went the distance en route to the complete game shutout in the circle, striking out two and allowing just four hits.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's softball team bounced back from an 8-7 loss in game one against North Central and took a 6-0 win in game two against the Cardinals on a blustery Saturday afternoon.

North Central struck in the top of the first inning with a lead-off triple and a sacrifice fly two batters later for a 1-0 lead. Saint Mary's responded right back in the bottom half of the inning. Makenzie Duncan hit a two-out double, and Cassie Young drove in Duncan with a single to right field to register her 100th career RBI. Sydney Swartz kept the inning alive with a walk, and Madelynne Keller drove in both Young and Swartz with a double to center field to put the Belles ahead 3-1.

The defense forced the Cardinals into stranding a runner on second in both the second and third innings while the offense broke through for another run in the bottom of the third. Cassie Young hit a one-out single and stole second base to get into scoring position. Two batters later, Madelynne Keller dropped a single into right field to plate Young.

Kelsey Keilman flashed some leather in left field in the top of the fourth inning as the sophomore made a sliding catch to end the inning for the Cardinals. North Central used a walk, a double, and a single to plate two runs before adding a two-out single down the left field line to push another run across as the score became tied at 4-4. The Belles answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out run. Sydney Swartz drew a two-out walk and advanced on a paced ball. Madelynne Keller then drove in Swartz with a single to center field to make it 5-4 in favor of Saint Mary's.

Kelsey Richards had a stellar diving play at second base to rob the Cardinals of a hit in the top of the sixth inning, and the Belles made it a 7-4 game in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs. Megan Knudsen had a lead-off walk, and Alyssa Gutierrez advanced Knudsen with a sacrifice bunt. Jamie Young dropped down a bunt to put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Makenzie Duncan drove a double to left-center field to plate both Knudsen and Young for the three-run lead.

The Cardinals started off the seventh inning with a single and a walk before Morgan Raymer wrung up a batter swinging for the first out of the frame. A one-out single drove in one run, but Cassie Young collected a fly out in center field to give the Belles two outs. The Cardinals, however, added an RBI single followed by a two-RBI single to gain an 8-7 lead. Kelsey Richards reached safely on an error with two outs, but the Belles were unable to push across the tying run in the 8-7 final.

Madelynne Keller was 3-for-4 with four RBI and a double to help lead the Belles. Jamie Young, Makenzie Duncan, and Cassie Young each added a pair of hits. Jamie Young scored once, Duncan drove in two and scored a run, and Cassie Young scored twice and had an RBI.

Morgan Raymer shouldered the loss in the circle after going all seven innings, striking out three, walking three.

In game two, the defense came up with several big stops for the Belles against the Cardinals. After forcing North Central to strand a runner at second in the top of the first inning, the Belles put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame. Jamie Young had a lead-off bunt single and moved up to second on a ground out. Makenzie Duncan then drove in Young from second with a single down the left field line. Cassie Young drew a walk, but a line drive double play ended the scoring chance for Saint Mary's.

Cassie Young made a diving catch in shallow center field in the third inning and cut down a runner trying to score from second base in the fourth inning while Kelsey Richards made a pair of plays at second base to keep the momentum in the favor of the Belles.

The offense responded with a three-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth. Madelynne Keller singled, and JoAnna Keilman hit a two-out double down the left field line to put a pair of runners into scoring position. Alyssa Gutierrez dropped a single into right field to plate Keller while Keilman came around to score on a throwing error on the play. Jamie Young then singled up the middle to push Gutierrez across with the third run of the inning.

Saint Mary's added another run in the fifth inning on a Cassie Young single, a pair of errors, and a fielder's choice. The defense for the Belles shut the door on the Cardinals in the top of the sixth with a Jessica Alberts to Jamie Young to Madelynne Keller 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.

The Belles pushed another run across in the bottom of the sixth to gain a 6-0 advantage. Jamie Young and Krystal Harris hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, and Young moved up to third on a fly out by Makenzie Duncan. Cassie Young then drove in Jamie Young with a squeeze bunt sacrifice.

The defense closed out the game with an exclamation point. After a lead-off walk, JoAnna Keilman picked off the base runner at first to give the Belles the first out of the inning. Jamie Young corralled a grounder and made the throw in time to get the next batter out. Makenzie Duncan then recorded the final out of the game by throwing out the next batter from right field before she could reach first base safely.

Jamie Young went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI to lead the way in game two. JoAnna Keilman tallied two hits - including a double - while scoring a run. Cassie Young and Alyssa Gutierrez each had a hit, an RBI, and scored a run.

Jessica Alberts went the distance en route to the complete game shutout in the circle. The senior struck out a pair, walked two, and allowed just four hits in seven innings.

The Belles (16-2) travel to in-state foe Manchester on Monday, March 26 for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader against the Spartans.