NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's softball team swept a doubleheader against visiting Wheaton on Wednesday by 4-0 and 7-6 scores.

 

The Belles retired the Thunder in order in the first inning and struck in the bottom half of the frame. Mary Charniak drew a lead-off walk and stole second, and Caitlin Traxler laced a double to the warning track two batters later to drive in Charniak.

 

Saint Mary's forced Wheaton into stranding a runner on second in their next at-bats, and the Belles added to their lead in the bottom of the second. Libby Bierbaum drew a walk, Sam Mikitka singled through the left side of the infield, and a fielding error by the Thunder on Madi Ingolia's batted ball loaded the bases. Mary Charniak then drove in Bierbaum with a single as Mikitka also scored on the play after an error. A hard-hit ball by Caitlin Traxler two batters later led to an out while also driving in Ingolia from third to put the Belles up 4-0.

 

Both sides put at least one runner on base in each of their respective at-bats over the remainder of the game, but neither side pushed any additional runs across home as the Belles preserved the 4-0 win.

 

Mary Charniak went 2-for-3 with a double, a run, a stolen base, a walk, and an RBI. Caitlin Traxler went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a double. Rylee Hershberger, McKenna Myers, and Sam Mikitka each added a hit while Libby Bierbaum, Madi Ingolia, and Mikitka each scored a run. Traxler earned the complete-game shutout victory in the circle after scattering six singles over seven innings with a strikeout.

 

Wheaton plated a run in the top of the first inning of game two, but the Belles responded with runs each of the first four innings of play. Rylee Hershberger drove in Mary Charniak with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. McKenna Shoupe used a ground out to the opposite side of the infield to drive in Sam Mikitka in the second inning. Hershberger added a single in the third, and McKenna Myers used a double down the left field line to drive her in. Madi Ingolia had a timely two-out single to left field later in the third to drive in Myers for the 4-1 lead.

 

Saint Mary's pushed their lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Caitlin Traxler and Alexis Rauch each reached on an error, and McKenna Myers drove in the pair with a double to left field. Libby Bierbaum added a double of her own on the first pitch she saw to plate Myers for the six-run advantage.

 

The Thunder scored three in the fifth and added another in the sixth to make it a 7-5 game. Wheaton then used an error and a sacrifice fly to edge within a run in the top of the seventh. The Thunder put the tying run on second base with only one out gone, but back-to-back fly outs to McKenna Shoupe in center field preserved the 7-6 win for the Belles.

 

McKenna Myers went 3-for-4 with three doubles, three RBI, and two runs in game two. Libby Bierbaum added a 3-for-4 effort at the dish with an RBI. Rylee Hershberger and Madi Ingolia had a hit and an RBI, and Alexis Rauch and Sam Mikitka each tallied a hit and scored a run. Bierbaum had a complete-game victory in the pitching circle for the Belles.

 

Saint Mary's (6-12) is back home on Saturday when they host Kalamazoo for a conference doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.