OLIVET, Mich. - The Saint Mary's softball team bounced back from an 8-0 setback against Trine with a come-from-behind 8-7 win over Olivet in a pair of non-conference games on Saturday.

 

In the opener against Trine, both sides were retired in order in the first inning. Libby Bierbaum drew a two-out walk in the top of the second, but an infield pop up stranded the freshman on base. The Thunder put together a two-out rally to plate four runs before the Belles ended the inning on a run down to end the inning. Trine added two runs on a home run in the third for a 6-0 lead.

 

The Belles were on the verge of plating a run in the fifth inning. McKenna Myers singled up the middle, and Natalie Quinlan reached safely after a Trine error to put two on base. After a foul pop up recorded the second out of the inning, another error kept the inning alive for the Belles as McKenna Shoupe reached safely to load the bases. Another pop up in the infield, however, ended the scoring chance. The Thunder, meanwhile, scored two runs with two outs gone in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by the 8-0 margin.

 

Mandi Hettinger went 2-for-3, and McKenna Myers added a hit. Libby Bierbaum shouldered the loss in the circle after going three complete. McKayla Noecker came on in relief and struck out a pair in 2.2 innings of work.

 

The Comets got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning of game two with a two-out double. The Belles then edged ahead in the bottom of the second. With two outs gone, McKenna Myers hit a home run to left field as Caitlin Traxler scored on the bomb to make it a 2-1 game. The lead was short-lived, however, as Olivet plated three runs on a two-out home run of their own in the top of the third inning for a 4-2 advantage.

 

The Belles chipped away at the deficit with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Mandi Hettinger led off with a single, and JoAnna Keilman put down the sacrifice bunt to advance Hettinger into scoring position. A ground out by Traxler allowed Hettinger to move to third, and the junior scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-3 game.

 

Olivet came back with another response in the top of the fifth with an RBI single and a two-run home run to make it a 7-3 lead for the Comets. Saint Mary's had a response of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Mac Pepper led off with a single, and McKenna Shoupe hit a double to right-center to get things going. Pepper was called out at the plate on an Alyssa Gutierrez fielder's choice, but Mandi Hettinger gave the momentum right back to the Belles with a double to right-center field to plate Shoupe and Gutierrez. After a two-out Caitlin Traxler double put runners on second and third, McKayla Noecker came up with a key single to score Hettinger to make it a 7-6 game.

 

Both sides were scoreless in the sixth, and Belles got a strong defensive stop in the top of the seventh with a double play to end the inning. Needing a run to stay alive and two to win the game, JoAnna Keilman hit a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to get things going for Saint Mary's. Caitlin Traxler laced a double to center field as Keilman scored from first base on the play to tie the game. McKayla Noecker then ended things with a single to left field as Traxler raced around from second to lift the Belles to the 8-7 win.

 

McKayla Noecker was 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of RBI singles. McKenna Myers went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and a run. Caitlin Traxler had a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of doubles, two runs, and an RBI. Mandi Hettinger added two hits, two RBIs, and two runs. JoAnna Keilman and McKenna Shoupe each tallied two hits and scored a run apiece. Noecker picked up the win in relief in the circle for the Belles by going the final 2.2 innings and surrendering just one hit with no walks and no runs. Libby Bierbaum had the no decision after going the opening 4.1 innings with two strikeouts and four earned runs.

 

The Belles (10-10) return to conference play on Saturday, April 24 when they host Hope for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.