Belles Split Results Against Big Blue, Foresters

Millikin Box Score - Lake Forest Box Score

• Morgan Raymer struck out four while scattering four hits and walking none in the win over Millikin.
• Kelsey Richards went 3-for-4 at the plate with three singles and a run in game one.
• Jamie Young hit a solo home run in the Belles' game against Lake Forest.

LEESBURG, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team took a 3-1 win over Millikin in their opening game of the day before falling by a 3-1 score against Lake Forest on Tuesday afternoon.

The 9-0 start to the season marks the best start for the softball program since Saint Mary's became an NCAA Division III member in the 1989-90 academic year. (Note: softball has been offered at Saint Mary's as a varsity sport since 1978.)

In game one, the Belles broke through with two runs in the top of the third inning against Millikin. Alyssa Gutierrez drew a lead-off walk, and Jamie Young, Kelsey Keilman, and Makenzie Duncan laced consecutive singles to drive in Gutierrez. Cassie Young then drove in Jamie Young with a fielder's choice to make it a 2-0 lead for Saint Mary's.

The Belles added another run in the top of the sixth inning. Kelsey Richards hit a single to center field and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Megan Knudsen dropped a single into center field to put runners on the corners with no one out. A double steal by Richards and Knudsen on the first-and-third situation saw Richards score from third for the 3-0 advantage. The Big Blue kept the Belles from inflicting any additional damage with a pair of defensive plays to get runners out at both third and at home.

Millikin scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs, but Morgan Raymer shut the door on the Big Blue with a strikeout to end the game. Raymer did not surrender a hit until the fifth inning on the way to a complete-game victory. The senior struck out four while scattering four hits and walking none.

Kelsey Richards went 3-for-4 at the plate with three singles and a run. Jamie Young, Kelsey Keilman, Makenzie Duncan, and Cassie Young each went 2-for-4 in the win. Cassie Young and Duncan each drove in a run, and Jamie Young scored once. Alyssa Gutierrez drew a pair of walks and had a hit in her only official at-bat of the game while also scoring a run.

Against Lake Forest, both sides stranded runners in scoring position in the early innings until the Foresters broke the deadlock with a run in the top of the third inning. A lead-off single was followed by a walk and a single to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly pushed a run across, but Jessica Alberts drew an infield pop up before striking out the next batter to end the threat.

Lake Forest added two unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning to gain a 3-0 lead.

The Belles nearly got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning. Makenzie Duncan singled to right field, and Kelsey Richards and Madelynne Keller added two-out singles to load the bases. Saint Mary's, however, could not get the needed hit to cut into the deficit in the fourth frame.

An inning later, the Belles did get on the scoreboard in a big way as Jamie Young belted a one-out solo home run over the left field fence to make it a 3-1 game. Saint Mary's put two runners on base in the sixth with back-to-back singles by Richards and Keller, but the Belles again came up empty-handed in the inning. Kelsey Keilman reached first on an error in the seventh, but the late-inning rally was not to be as the Belles fell by the 3-1 final score.

Jessica Alberts shouldered the loss in the circle after 3.2 innings of work while striking out three and allowing just one earned run. Morgan Raymer threw 3.1 innings of relief and had three strikeouts.

Jamie Young hit a solo home run to both drive in and score the Belles' run of the game. Kelsey Richards and Madelynne Keller were both 2-for-3 at the plate.

The Belles (9-1) are off from competition tomorrow and return to the field on Thursday when they take on Lakeland and Transylvania in the PFX Spring Games in Florida.