No. 10 Belles Sweep Hornets for Outright MIAA Title

Game One Box Score - Game Two Box Score

• Kelsey Keilman went 7-for-7 with five runs and four RBI in the two games combined.
• Jamie Young added a 7-for-9 effort with a triple, a double, five runs, and three RBI on the day.
• Morgan Raymer earned her 47th career pitching win in game one, Jessica Alberts earned the game-two win, and Zoe Bruni closed out the final inning of game two.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The No. 10 ranked (NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll) Saint Mary's softball team put an exclamation point on their first-ever Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season title as the Belles defeated Kalamazoo 11-0 (6 innings) and 12-0 (5 innings) on Saturday afternoon.

The Belles wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the opener. Jamie Young and Kelsey Keilman led off the game with singles, and Cassie Young loaded the bases with one out. Madelynne Keller hit a fielder's choice which saw Jamie Young forced out at home. Morgan Raymer delivered a two-out, two-run single to put Saint Mary's ahead through the first half-inning.

The Belles pushed a third run across in the second inning. Alyssa Gutierrez had a one-out walk, and Jamie Young beat out bunt single which saw Gutierrez advance to third. Kelsey Keilman then drove in Gutierrez with her second single of the game. The defense got out of a jam in the bottom half of the inning. The Hornets hit a lead-off double and posted a one-out single to put runners on the corners. Morgan Raymer wrung up the next batter with a strikeout swinging, and Cassie Young caught a fly ball in center field to end the threat.

Jamie Young and Kelsey Keilman each collected their third hit of the game in the top of the fourth, and Makenzie Duncan drove in Young with a double to make it a 4-0 lead. After a quick three up, three down effort on defense, the Belles added three more runs onto the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Emma Conroy hit a single and Kelsey Richards was hit by a pitch to start the inning. A fielder's choice on a grounder by Jamie Young led to a bases loaded opportunity for the Belles. Kelsey Keilman drove in a run with a single, and Makenzie Duncan was hit by a pitch to plate another run. Two batters later, Madelynne Keller drove in Keilman with a single of her own for a 7-0 Saint Mary's lead.

The Belles retired the side in order in the fifth and kept the bats alive in the top of the sixth. Kelsey Richards was hit by a pitch, Alyssa Gutierrez reached on a fielder's choice, and Jamie Young drove in the pair with a double. Young moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch, and Keilman hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Young. Makenzie Duncan followed up with a single, and Cassie Young drove in Duncan with a double to make it an 11-0 advantage.

Kalamazoo had a one-out single in the bottom half of the inning. Morgan Raymer tallied a strikeout, and Jamie Young closed out the game with the grounder turned out for the six-inning win.

Kelsey Keilman went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs in the opener, and Jamie Young posted a 4-for-5 effort at the dish with a double, two RBI, and two runs. Makenzie Duncan and Cassie Young each tallied two hits and a run. Duncan drove in two while Young had an RBI and a walk. Morgan Raymer set a new program record for career wins with her 47th victory of her career in the game one decision. Raymer struck out eight, walked one, and allowed just three hits in the complete-game shutout.

The offense picked right up where they had left off for the Belles in game two. Jamie Young started off the bottom of the first inning with a triple, and Kelsey Keilman had a single to put runners at the corners. Keilman then stole second to put a pair into scoring position. Makenzie Duncan singled to drive in Young before stealing second. Cassie Young walked to load the bases, and Sydney Swartz delivered a double to plate all three runners for a 4-0 lead.

Jamie Young continued a hot day at the plate with a single in the second inning, and Kelsey Keilman followed suit with a single of her own. Duncan belted a double to score both runners as the lead grew to 6-0 through two complete innings.

The Belles then erupted for six runs in the bottom of the third inning as Saint Mary's sent eleven batters to the plate. Consecutive singles by Megan Knudsen, Madelynne Keller, and Kelsey Richards loaded the bases. Jamie Young delivered a single to push Knudsen across home plate. Keilman then collected a single of her own to plate Keller. Richards scored on an error on an infield grounder by Cassie Young as the bases remained loaded. Swartz then tallied her second bases-loaded double of the game to drive in Jamie Young, Keilman, and Cassie Young.

The Hornets registered a single in the fourth inning and a single in the fifth inning, but the Belles did not allow Kalamazoo to advance a runner past first base in the game as Saint Mary's closed out the 12-0 win in five innings.

Kelsey Keilman was 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI in game one. Jamie Young added a 3-for-4 effort with a triple, three runs, and an RBI. Sydney Swartz was 2-for-3 with two doubles and six RBI. Makenzie Duncan also went 2-for-3 with a double, a run, and three RBI. Jessica Alberts picked up the win after going four complete. The senior allowed one hit and struck out four. Zoe Bruni closed out the final inning in the circle by striking out one and surrendering one hit with no walks.

The Belles (33-3) finish the conference season with a 15-1 mark and will now host the top-four only MIAA Tournament on Thursday and Friday, May 3-4. Top-seeded Saint Mary's will take on fourth-seeded Alma in game two at 1:00 p.m. Game one will feature second-seeded Calvin and third-seeded Hope at 11:00 a.m.