NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's softball team bounced back from a 3-2 (8 innings) loss to visiting Kalamazoo to take game two by a 2-0 score on Saturday.

 

Saint Mary's took the lead in the bottom of the third inning of game one against Kalamazoo. Krystal Harris hit a one-out single to left side of the infield, and Kelsey Keilman quickly drove her in with a triple to the right-center gap. The Belles were unable to push Keilman across as a pair of infield ground outs ended the inning.

 

The Hornets got a run right back in the top of the fourth inning. A lead-off single was followed by a sacrifice bunt to put the runner into scoring position. Zoe Bruni wrung up the next batter with a strikeout looking, but a two-out single to left-center scored the runner to knot the game at 1-1.

 

The Belles responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Mandi Hettinger led off with a double to left-center field, and a ground out allowed the freshman to move up to third base. A walk by Bruni put runners at the corners, and Madelynne Keller drove in Hettinger with a sacrifice fly to left field.

 

Kalamazoo pushed a run across in the top of the sixth inning. A one-out single followed by a hit batter put two runners on base. A double then scored the runner from second as the Hornets tied the game at 2-2 while also having two runners in scoring position. A pop up to Alyssa Gutierrez at third followed by a ground out to Gutierrez, however, shut the door on the threat. Kalamazoo nearly took the lead in the top of the seventh inning after the Hornets put their first two batters on base and moved the pair up on a ground out. Bruni drew a huge pop up to Megan Knudsen at shortstop, and Maggie Gillis caught a foul pop up to end the scoring chance.

 

The Hornets used a two-out rally in the eighth inning, however, to score a run after they recorded three consecutive singles. Saint Mary's had a chance to pull even in the bottom half of the inning. Bruni hit a one-out double to left field, and Gutierrez came in to run for the senior. An infield single by Madelynne Keller put runners on the corners with just one out, but a line drive double play ended the game as the Belles fell by the 3-2 final.

 

Kelsey Keilman went 3-for-4 in game one with a triple and an RBI. Krystal Harris was 2-for-3 with a run. Mandie Hettinger had a double and scored once, and Zoe Bruni laced a double. Madelynne Keller drove in a run for the Belles. Bruni had a no-decision in the circle after going seven innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Hettinger suffered the loss in game one in one inning of relief work.

 

Despite the Belles getting runners into scoring position in the first, second, and fourth innings, game two remained scoreless until the top of the fifth. With Saint Mary's hitting first in the second game of the conference doubleheader, Kelsey Keilman led off with a triple to right-center field. Two batters later, Megan Knudsen drove in the junior with a single to right field. Knudsen moved up to second on a wild pitch, and the senior scored two batters later on a single to center field by JoAnna Keilman.

 

The Hornets looked to be putting together another late-game two-out comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. An error put a runner on first to keep the game alive. The next batter for Kalamazoo dropped a single into right field, but Sydney Swartz gunned down the runner who was trying to go from first to third on the play to end the game.

 

Kelsey Keilman followed her game-one performance with a 3-for-4 effort in game two with another triple and a run while collecting the 100th hit of her career. Harris and Sydney Swartz each posted a 2-for-3 effort at the dish in the nightcap. JoAnna Keilman was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Megan Knudsen had a hit, an RBI, and a run. Hailey Hisaw pitched her first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career after scattering four hits over seven innings with three strikeouts, one walk, and no extra-base hits allowed.