CLERMONT, Fla. - The Saint Mary's softball team came up on the short end of a 6-0 final against Bethany (W.Va.) and a 4-2 contest against Bethany Lutheran at THE Spring Games on Monday.

 

In the Belles' opening game of the day, Bethany pushed a run across in the top of the fourth in a true pitchers' duel between the two sides. Saint Mary's nearly got the equalizer in the bottom half of the inning. Rylee Hershberger drew a lead-off walk on a full count, and Caitlin Traxler added a single to put a pair of runners on base. McKenna Myers sacrifice bunted the pair up 60 feet for two runners in scoring position  for the Belles. A strikeout and a flyout to center field stopped the scoring chance in its tracks for the Belles in the inning.

 

The Bison plated four runs in the top half of the fifth inning to extend their advantage to 5-0 late in the contest. McKenna Shoupe led off the bottom of the frame with a walk, and the sophomore stole second base before Traxler reached on an error. Consecutive strikeouts, however, put a halt to the offensive opportunity with Shoupe and Traxler in scoring position. The Bison added another run in the top of the seventh as the Belles headed to the bottom half of the inning, but Saint Mary's was unable to get offense going in their final at-bats in the 6-0 final.

 

Caitlin Traxler had a pair of hits for the Belles while McKenna Shoupe and Rylee Hershberger each drew a walk. Libby Bierbaum recorded a collegiate single-game best seven strikeouts in the circle in the complete-game effort. 

 

The second contest of the day for Saint Mary's saw Bethany Lutheran score a pair in the bottom of the first inning for a quick lead. The Belles came right back with a run in the top of the second. Traxler continued to find a way at the plate as the junior led things off with a single up the middle. McKenna Myers put down a sacrifice bunt to move Traxler to second, and an infield single by Alexis Rauch put runners at the corners. McKayla Noecker put the ball in play in a good spot for the Belles as the sophomore grounded out but tallied the RBI as she drove in Traxler on the play to make it 2-1. 

 

The defense got out of a jam in the bottom half of the second as the Vikings loaded the bases just to see McKenna Myers collect an unassisted putout on a grounder to shortstop to end the threat. Bethany Lutheran took advantage of an error in the bottom of the third to plate an unearned run to make it 3-1.

 

Rylee Hershberger led off the top of the fourth inning with a double to center field and advanced to third on a hard ground out by Traxler, but another infield groundout was followed by a strikeout as Hershberger was unable to come across with a run. The defense came up with a stop in the bottom half of the fourth after the Vikings had a leadoff double of their own. Mandi Hettinger wrung up the next batter with a strikeout looking, and a fly out to left field followed by a fly out to center field had the Belles shut the door on the Vikings in the frame.

 

Saint Mary's put a runner on base in both the fifth and sixth but were unable to get either runner past second base as the Belles continued to trail 3-1. The Vikings plated an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to carry a 4-1 lead into the seventh. Natalie Quinlan drew a one-out walk as Paige Madden came in to pinch run for the Belles. Madden moved up to second on wild pitch two batters later, and McKenna Shoupe kept the comeback efforts alive with a single to put runners at the corners. Mandi Hettinger then helped her own cause with a single to left field to plate Madden. With the tying run on base and the potential go-ahead run at the dish, Rylee Hershberger's rocket shot was stopped by the Bethany Lutheran third baseman as the Vikings used the force out at third to end the game. 

 

McKenna Shoupe, Mandi Hettinger, Rylee Hershberger, Caitlin Traxler, and Alexis Rauch each collected a hit for the Belles. Hershberger's hit was a double, and Traxler scored a run for the Belles. Natalie Quinlan drew two walks, and Paige Madden tallied a run. Hettinger went six innings in the circle and matched her career-high mark with six strikeouts. 

 

The Belles (0-3) continue their Florida trip with games against Ohio Northern and Marian (Wis.) on Tuesday morning starting at 9:00 a.m.