KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Saint Mary's softball team captured a 7-6 win over host Kalamazoo in game one of a conference doubleheader but fell short in the comeback attempt in an 8-5 game two setback against the Hornets.

 

The opener saw the host Hornets plate a run in the bottom of the first before adding three runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 4-0 advantage. 

 

Natalie Quinlan reached on an error to start the top of the fifth, and Maddie James came in to pinch run for the senior catcher. McKenna Shoupe then drew a walk, and a ground out by Mac Pepper allowed the pair to get into scoring position. Two batters later, Caitlin Traxler put the Belles on the scoreboard with a double to drive in James and Shoupe.

 

The defense forced Kalamazoo into stranding a lead-off double on second in the bottom of the fifth as Grace Renschen induced a pair of infield pop ups and an infield groundout to end the inning. Both teams were retired in order in the sixth as the Belles came up to bat in the top of the seventh trailing 4-2. McKenna Shoupe got things going with a one-out double, and Mac Pepper beat out an infield single to put a pair on base. McKenna Myers drove a single over the center fielder's head to plate Shoupe, and Traxler drove a double to the warning track to score Pepper and knot the game at 4-4. Mandi Hettinger then delivered a big single by driving an outside pitch through the right side as Myers and Traxler both scored for a 6-4 lead.

 

Kalamazoo got a lead-off single followed by a double to put two runners in scoring position. The Hornets drove in one run with a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch tied the game at 6-6. The Belles locked in with a pair of big defensive plays as Alexis Rauch snagged a fly ball in left field and Mac Pepper chased down and caught a fly ball to the deep right-field corner to end the inning.

 

Renschen helped her own in the top of the eighth inning with a lead-off single. Libby Bierbaum needed exactly one pitch to put down a sacrifice bunt to advance Renschen to second base. Natalie Quinlan then used a strong piece of hitting as the senior went with an outside pitch and dropped a shot down the right field line. The Kalamazoo right fielder tried to make the diving catch but was unable to make the play as the ball rolled out to the warning track. Renschen easily scored as Quinlan raced around for a stand-up triple. A diving catch by the Kalamazoo center fielder followed by another defensive play ended the top half of the eighth. The Hornets put their lead-off batter on with a single. Renschen induced a pop up on a sacrifice bunt attempt that Anna Gruber snagged for the first out, and McKenna Myers got a force out at first for the second out of the inning. An infield single put the tying run on third for Kalamazoo, but Renschen closed out the game and the win with a come-back grounder and force out at first for the 7-6 win.

 

Caitlin Traxler was 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI, and a run. Grace Renschen added a 2-for-4 effort with a double and scored a run. McKenna Shoupe was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, a stolen base, and a walk. Mandi Hettinger had a hit and two RBI, and Natalie Quinlan had a triple and drove in the game-winning run. McKenna Myers had a hit, an RBI, and scored a run while Mac Pepper had a hit, scored a run, and drew two walks. Grace Renschen earned her first win with the complete-game effort in the circle as she scattered 10 hits over eight innings with four earned runs and one walk.

 

The Hornets plated four runs in the top of the first inning of game two and pushed their lead to 6-0 through the top of the third inning. McKenna Shoupe led off the bottom of the third with a single to center field. Shoupe then stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Caitlin Traxler then used a two-out RBI single up the middle to plate Shoupe. Mandi Hettinger laced a single to keep the inning alive, but the Belles were unable to chip further away at the deficit in the third.

 

Traxler made a highlight-reel diving stop and throw to get the lead-off batter out in the fourth, and Hettinger snagged a foul pop up at the fence to get two quick outs. McKenna Shoupe then collected a fly ball to retire the side in order. Kalamazoo, however, pushed a pair of runs across with two outs in the top of the fifth for an 8-1 lead. 

 

In the bottom of the sixth Traxler led off with a single and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Hettinger added a single of her own just inside the right field line to put runners at the corners. Alexis Rauch had a deep fly to center field caught, but Traxler tagged up on the play to score. Grace Renschen took a pitch off the back of her hand, and Libby Bierbaum reached on an error to load the bases. Anna Gruber battled in a long at-bat before drawing a hard-fought walk to plate Hettinger. McKenna Shoupe reached on an error as Renschen scored easily on the play. The errant throw saw Libby Bierbaum score from first on the play while Gruber was caught trying to get to third, and groundout ended the scoring for the Belles in the sixth as Saint Mary's was well within striking distance at 8-5. A trio of solid defensive plays by the Belles in the top of the seventh quickly put Saint Mary's back up to bat. The Hornets, however, returned the favor by retiring the Belles in order to end the game.

 

Caitlin Traxler was 2-for-4 in game two with an RBI and a run, and Mandi Hettinger added a 2-for-4 effort with a run. McKenna Shoupe collected a hit, scored a run, and drove in a run. Alexis Rauch added a hit and an RBI, and Anna Gruber drove in a run. Libby Bierbaum pitched seven complete and allowed just one extra-base hit in the circle for the Belles in the loss.

 

Saint Mary's (10-17, 5-9 MIAA) are back on the field tomorrow when they host Wheaton for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 4:00 p.m.