HOLLAND, Mich. - After falling by a 6-0 score in the opener, the Saint Mary's softball team took a 6-0 win over No. 23 Hope in a non-conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

 

In the opener, the Belles put a runner into scoring position in the top of the first inning. McKenna Shoupe led the game off with a single before Alyssa Gutierrez sacrifice bunted her to second base. Back-to-back outs, however, ended the scoring chance for Saint Mary's. Hope capitalized on a pair of errors in their first at-bats to push a pair of runs across for a 2-0 lead through one complete. The Belles again put a runner into scoring position in the top of the second. McKenna Myers had a one-out single and advanced to second on a ground out, but a strikeout ended the inning offensively. The Flying Dutch responded by scoring three runs in their offensive half of the inning for a 5-0 advantage.

 

The Belles loaded the bases in the third, fourth, and fifth innings only to see each of those opportunities fall short of yielding any runs. Hope added a run in the bottom of the fifth and had the potential mercy rule-inducing runners on second and third with no one out. Libby Bierbaum worked out of the jam with a strikeout, an infield pop up, and another strikeout to keep the game alive. Shoupe hit a one-out single in the top of the sixth, stole second, and advanced to third on an error, but the Belles again were unable to get the timely hit to break through into the scoring column. Down to the final at-bats in the seventh, Caitlin Traxler beat out an infield single and moved into scoring position on a ground out, but a strikeout ended the game by the 6-0 final. The Belles out-hit the Flying Dutch 12 to 10 in the game but stranded 13 runners on base.

 

McKenna Shoupe went 3-for-3 with a stolen base. Libby Bierbaum added a 2-for-3 effort at the dish, and JoAnna Keilman and McKenna Myers were both 2-for-4 in the setback. Caitlin Traxler suffered the loss with a strikeout, five walks, and three earned runs in two complete innings. Bierbaum closed out the final four innings and struck out three with one walk and one earned run.

 

Game two saw Mandi Hettinger face just one batter over the minimum over four innings of work as the junior struck out three, scattered just two singles, and held a Hope side which had averaged nearly seven runs per game scoreless. The bats for the Belles, meanwhile, broke through early against the Flying Dutch. Shoupe led off the bottom of the first with a double, and Gutierrez moved the freshman up 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Keilman drove in Shoupe with a double. Caitlin Traxler then belted her second home run of the season to put Saint Mary's ahead 3-0 through one complete.

 

McKenna Myers led off the second inning with a single, and Natalie Quinlan executed the sacrifice bunt to advance Myers to second base. Mac Pepper then got ahold of a double to left field to score Myers, giving the Belles a 4-0 advantage. The Belles tacked on two more runs in the third inning. Keilman connected on her second double in as many at-bats, and Traxler laced a single to left field to put runners at the corners before the sophomore stole second base. Two batters later, Myers drove the pair in with a single to left field for a 6-0 Saint Mary's lead.

 

Saint Mary's nearly added to the lead in the fourth after loading the bases with no one out, but the Belles were unable to inflict any further damage as three consecutive outs ended the chance. McKayla Noecker came on in relief in the top of the fifth, and the freshman also only faced one batter over the minimum in the final three frames. Noecker did not allow a hit, walked one batter, and struck out one batter as she and Hettinger combined for the shutout in the circle.

 

JoAnna Keilman was 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and an RBI. McKenna Myers went 3-for-3 at the dish in game two with two RBIs and a run. Caitlin Traxler was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs. Mac Pepper posted a 2-for-2 effort with a double, an RBI, and a sacrifice bunt. Hettinger garnered the win after going four complete, needing just 35 pitches to take care of business. Noecker used 29 pitches over the final three innings in the combined shutout on the day.

 

The Belles (9-9) are back on the road on Saturday as they travel to Olivet to take on Trine at 2:00 p.m. and the host Comets at 4:00 p.m.