No. 25 Belles Take Two Wins Over Scots

Game One Box Score - Game Two Box Score

• Jamie Young and Cassie Young each went 3-for-5 in game one and combined for four RBI and two runs.
• Kelsey Richards led a group of five Belles with two hits in game two as she hit a double and a triple.
• Morgan Raymer earned the game-one win, and Jessica Alberts posted her fourth shoutout win in the circle in game two.

ALMA, Mich. - Making their debut in the national rankings, the No. 25 ranked (NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll) Saint Mary's softball team swept a league doubleheader over Alma on Wednesday night by 9-4 and 11-0 (5 innings) scores.

The Belles took the momentum early in the opening game of the doubleheader as Saint Mary's plated five runs in the top of the first inning. Jamie Young, Kelsey Keilman, Makenzie Duncan, and Cassie Young each singled. Cassie Young's single allowed both Jamie Young and Kelsey Keilman to come in to score for a 2-0 lead. After a foul pop out, Sydney Swartz, Kelsey Richards, and Emma Conroy each hit singles to keep the momentum going. The infield single by Richards plated Duncan, and Conroy's single through the left side pushed Cassie Young and Swartz across home to make it 5-0.

Two innings later, Alyssa Gutierrez started a two-out rally with a walk. Jamie Young quickly struck with a triple to score Gutierrez as the lead grew to 6-0.

The Scots cut into the Belles' lead with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a two-run home run in the fourth to make it a 6-3 score. Saint Mary's, however, responded in the top of the fifth with a three-run outburst to regain the momentum. Gutierrez drew her second walk in as many plate appearances. Kelsey Keilman hit a one-out single, and Makenzie Duncan drew a walk to load the bases. Cassie Young delivered a single through the left side to plate both Gutierrez and Keilman. Two batters later, Jill Ackermann came in to bat and hit a single through the right side to push Duncan across to make it a 9-3 Saint Mary's lead.

Alma put together their own two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth with four consecutive singles for a run, but Makenzie Duncan collected a fly out in right field to force the Scots into leaving the bases loaded. The defense had a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth with Kelsey Richards fielding a ground out before back-to-back defensive assists by Jamie Young to end the inning. In their last at-bats, Alma put runners on first and second with a single and a walk. A fielder's choice at third saw Alyssa Gutierrez step on the base ahead of the runner for the first out. Cassie Young then caught a fly out to center field, and Jamie Young ended the game with another ground out.

Jamie Young went 3-for-5 in game one with a triple, a RBI, and a run. Cassie Young added a 3-for-5 effort with a double, three RBI, and a run. Kelsey Keilman went 2-for-4 with two runs, and Makenzie Duncan was 2-for-4 in the opener with two runs and a walk. Emma Conroy drove in two runs, and Alyssa Gutierrez scored twice.

Morgan Raymer went the distance in the circle and struck out five while walking one and scattering eight hits on the way to the win.

The Belles retired the side in order to start game two and immediately got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning. Jamie Young had a lead-off single and moved into scoring position on a ground out by Kelsey Keilman. Makenzie Duncan dropped a single into center field, allowing Young to score from second on the play.

The defense again retired the side in order in the second inning, and the Belles did not allow the Scots to advance a runner safely past first in the third to hold the 1-0 edge through two-and-a-half innings of play.

The offense then erupted for six runs in the bottom half of the third inning. Jamie Young had another lead-off single, but back-to-back outs saw the senior still standing on first. That is when five consecutive hits yielded four runs for the Belles. Cassie Young singled to right field to put runners on the corners, and Jill Ackermann drove in Jamie Young with a single to right field as Cassie Young advanced to third. Megan Knudsen added a single of her own to plate Cassie Young, and Kelsey Richards doubled to left-center to score Ackermann. JoAnna Keilman hit a single to third base as Kudsen touched home plate safely on the play, and an error by the Scots on Alyssa Gutierrez's hit ball resulted in Keilman scoring to make it a 7-0 Saint Mary's lead.

The Belles made quick work of Alma in the top of the fourth to get back up to bat with all of the momentum. With two outs gone, the offense refused to be quieted. Cassie Young drew a walk, and Ackermann added another single to right to put runners on the corners. Ackermann moved to second on a passed ball, and Knudsen drove in the pair with a single to right field. Kelsey Richards then belted a triple to left-center field, which allowed Knudsen to score. JoAnna Keilman pushed a single through the left side as Richards came in to touch home to make it an 11-0 lead.

Alma needed four runs to keep the game alive in the top of the fifth. A fly out to center field and a strikeout looking quickly put two outs on the scoreboard against the Scots. Alma continued to fight late in the game as they hit three consecutive singles to load the bases. Kelsey Keilman, however, closed out the game by catching a fly ball in left field for the mercy rule-shortened win for the Belles.

Jamie Young, Jill Ackermann, Megan Knudsen, Kelsey Richards, and JoAnna Keilman each collect two hits while each scoring at least one time. Richards had a triple and a double with two RBI, and Knudsen drove in three while scoring twice.

Jessica Alberts picked up the complete-game shutout after surrendering just five hits and striking out two. The senior did not allow an extra-base hit while earning her fourth shutout of the season.

It is the first MIAA doubleheader sweep of the Scots for the Saint Mary's softball team since the 2006 season when the Belles won 9-1 and 8-0. Additionally, the 20 runs are the most runs for the Belles in a league doubleheader against Alma in program history.

The Belles (26-2, 8-0 MIAA) return home to host No. 8 Trine on Friday, April 13 starting at 3:30 p.m.