Saint Mary's made a statement Thursday, sweeping Kalamazoo in a doubleheader and secured a spot in the MIAA tournament. After winning the first game 5-3, they exploded 13-1 in the second game.
The Belles are currently third in the MIAA conference with a 9-5 record and must now await the outcome of the Albion and Hope doubleheader Sat-urday to determine the third and fourth seeds.
The Belles scored five runs in the first game led by a Jean Downes single. Downes was followed by a hit from Angie Ellison who later scored off an infield grounder.
Kalamazoo came back strong at the top of the second, tying the score at one. After the Belles failed to score, the Hornets took the lead 2-1 in the top of the third.
However, it was not long before Saint Mary's came roaring back in the fifth inning to score three runs by Marnie Walsh, Audrey Gajor and Amy Parker.
The final run scored by Saint Mary's came from Kate Sajewich scoring on a Gajor single in the sixth. In the seventh, Kalamazoo scored one run to make the final score 5-3.
The second game ended after just five innings as the Belles slaughtered the Hornets 13-1. Libby Wilhelmy pitched through the first four innings for the Belles, giving up only two hits and no runs. Bridget Grall replaced Wilhemly in the fifth and helped Saint Mary's secure a playoff birth.
The Belles came out strong once again and scored three runs in the first inning.
Ellison and Laura Heline each drove in a run and a Kalamazoo error gave Saint Mary's a 3-0 advantage.
In the second inning, Saint Mary's scored three additional runs as a result of three Kalamazoo errors.
In the bottom of the fifth, Saint Mary's scored seven more runs and secured its second victory of the doubleheader. Singles by Gajor and Meghan Marenkovic began the onslaught. This was followed by Walsh's RBI single and a hit by Ellison, bringing home three more runs.
Sullivan added another run on her single and Heline's double made the score 11-0. The Belles scored their final two runs off an error and a Gajor double for the 13-1 victory.
Saint Mary's has done its job by securing a place in the upcoming MIAA tournament. Now they just have to wait to see who the opponent will be.
