The Belles head into their last non-conference game of the season today against Goshen, hoping to redeem themselves after a disappointing showing Saturday against Olivet. The Belles dropped both games on the road, 2-1 and 6-4.
Belles head coach Erin Sullivan said Saint Mary's will turn to powerhouses like McKenna Corrigan, who gave the Belles their only run in the first game.
"We want to score early," Sullivan said. "And score often."
Saint Mary's showed power from behind the plate Saturday, Sullivan said, but Olivet was able to shut the team down.
Freshman right-hander Kristin Amram will work to once again be a force from the mound. Amram pitched the first three innings of the second game Saturday, but moved to right field to give her arm a rest. Sullivan said the team hopes the rest will allow Amram to return to full power.
While the Belles' scheduled matches against Goshen have been cancelled in the past two years, Goshen played Kalamazoo on Saturday and lost both games 6-5 and 2-1.
The Maple Leafs are in a 21-game losing streak and have struggled offensively. They posted only three hits in their 9-0 and 3-0 losses against their rivals, the University of St. Francis, on April 15.
Goshen will look to rely on sophomore pitcher Erin Layman, who recorded a single against St. Francis and went one for three from the plate.
But Saint Mary's hopes to shut down Goshen early. If the Belles can get an early lead, Sullivan said, she believes they will hold it.
The Belles head into their match against Goshen with the MIAA tournament only 10 days away.
Sullivan said the team wants to finish the season off strong and look toward the postseason and the possibilties there.
"We want to secure our spot in the conference tournament," Sullivan said.
Saint Mary's plays Goshen at 3:30 p.m. today at home.
