No. 10 Belles Prevail Against Scots, No. 16 Knights in MIAA Tournament

Alma Box Score - Calvin Box Score

• Makenzie Duncan went 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI, and a run in the win over Alma.
• Cassie Young went 3-for-3 with a run and a stolen base against Calvin.
• Morgan Raymer earned both pitching wins on the day while Jessica Alberts closed out the final inning of each game.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The top-seeded and No. 10 ranked (NFCA Division III Top 25) Saint Mary's softball team took a 6-2 win over Alma before defeating No. 16 Calvin 8-0 (5 innings) to advance to the championship of the 2018 MIAA Tournament.

The Belles took the lead in the bottom of the first inning against the Scots. Jamie Young was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. A bobbled through on Kelsey Keilman's batted ball allowed the sophomore to safely reach first base as Young advanced to third on the play. Makenzie Duncan then drove in Young with a sacrifice fly to center field for the quick 1-0 lead.

After leaving runners on base in the second inning, the Belles added to their lead in the third. Makenzie Duncan singled to left-center field, and Cassie Young flared a single over the second baseman into right field to put two aboard. Morgan Raymer executed the sacrifice bunt to advance the pair. Madelynne Keller hit a hard grounder off the pitcher's glove before being thrown out at first as Duncan came in to score on the play. JoAnna Keilman then dropped a triple down the right field line to score Young to make it a 3-0 game.

The Scots cut into the Saint Mary's lead with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fifth inning. The Belles came right back with a run in the bottom half of the inning to regain momentum. Duncan led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Cassie Young drew a walk, and Keller drew a walk to load the bases. JoAnna Keilman worked her at-bat to a full count before drawing a walk to push Duncan across for the 4-1 lead.

The Belles had a big defensive play from Kelsey Keilman in the top of the sixth inning. Alma had a one-out single to center field to put a runner on base as the Scots looked to generate some late-game offense. The next batter then lofted a long, hard-hit fly ball toward the warning track in left field. Keilman raced to her right and made an across-the-body catch on the run to collect the second out. Makenzie Duncan then shut the door on the inning with a catch in right field.

Saint Mary's added two additional runs in the bottom of the sixth. Jamie Young led off the inning with a triple, and Kelsey Keilman reached on an error to put runners on the corners. Keilman moved up on the next pitch, and Duncan drove in the pair with a single to right field to make it 6-2. Alma put two runners on base in the top of the seventh, but Duncan again closed out the inning with a catch in right field to secure the win.

Makenzie Duncan went 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI, and a run in the win over Alma. JoAnna Keilman belted a triple and drove in two runs while being walked once and being hit by a pitch once. Jamie Young went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk. Cassie Young was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run. Morgan Raymer went six innings in the circle and struck out two while scattering five hits and walking three. Jessica Alberts closed out the top of the seventh by allowing only two hits.

In the second game of the day, the Belles got out of a jam defensively in the top of the third inning as Alyssa Gutierrez made a force out at third with runners on first and second to stop a scoring threat.

In the bottom half of that same inning, Saint Mary's erupted for eight runs to take command of the contest. The Belles sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning, and each member of the lineup had either a hit, an RBI, or a run. Gutierrez started things off by reaching on an error, and Jamie Young singled to left field to put two on base. Kelsey Keilman sacrifice bunted the pair up 60 feet before Makenzie Duncan drove in the duo with a single. Cassie Young and Sydney Swartz each added singles to load the bases. Megan Knudsen then drove in Duncan with a sacrifice fly to center field to account for the second out of the inning.

The Belles were not done with the offense, however, as JoAnna Keilman singled to right field to plate both Cassie Young and Swartz. Kelsey Richards drew a walk, and Gutierrez followed suit with a walk of her own. A wild pitch saw Keilman come in to score as Richards and Gutierrez each advanced a base on the play. A passed ball then allowed Richards to score while Gutierrez moved up to third. Jamie Young drew a walk, and Kelsey Keilman drove in Guiterrez with a single to right field to make it an 8-0 Saint Mary's lead.

The defense forced the Knights into stranding a runner on first in the fourth to close the inning. In the top of the fifth, Calvin had a lead-off single to right field as the Knights needed at least one run to keep the game alive. Jessica Alberts struck out the next batter she faced before drawing a ground out to Gutierrez at third as the necessary run moved to second. Alberts closed the door on the Knights, however, as she drew a pop up to Kelsey Richards at second base to end the game.

Cassie Young went 3-for-3 with a run and a stolen base. Makenzie Duncan added a 2-for-3 effort with two RBI, a double, and a run. JoAnna Keilman posted a pair of RBI with a hit and a run in two at-bats. Morgan Raymer earned the victory in the circle after going four innings while striking out three and allowing only three hits. Jessica Alberts finished the final inning of the game and allowed only one hit while striking out one.

The Belles (35-3) await the winner of a rematch of second-seeded Calvin and third-seeded Hope in the double-elimination tournament. The opening game of the tournament begins at noon at Saint Mary's. The Belles then face off against the winner of the opening game at approximately 2:00 p.m.