Saint Mary's is finally .500 in conference.
The Belles beat Albion College 5-3 and 14-1 Tuesday at home to improve their MIAA record to 5-5 and 20-6 overall.
Albion started the game with one run in the first inning and two runs and three hits in the second. Sophomore pitcher Calli Davison pitched a full seven innings, giving up eight hits but just three runs. Sophomore Jenna Hogg and reliever Traci McGwire gave up a total of 11 hits and five runs.
Sophomore first baseman Katie Rashid brought the momentum back on the Belles side as she dove into the splits to tag Briton infielder Morgan Barnes for the third out in the second inning.
With the score 3-0 the team kept chanting "7-0" - a reference to its April 21 comeback against Olivet, when the Belles scored 13 straight runs to beat the Comets 13-7.
The chanting worked, because the Belles came storming back in the sixth. Freshman outfielder Ashley Peterson hit one out of the ballpark, as did sophomore catcher Ashley Fusaro.
Fusaro's homer also ran in senior Sarah Miesle. With junior McKenna Corrigan and Laura Heline on base, Rashid singled to left centerfield and ran in the two runners. Davison did not give up another hit in the seventh to end the game at 5-3.
The Belles began the second game strong as freshman second baseman Maureen Healy scored on Ashley Peterson's single in the first. MIAA Pitcher of the Week sophomore Kristin Amram held the Britons to four hits. The Britons had their only run in the fourth when Marissa Dickey singled to run in Allison Smart.
The sixth turned into a marathon inning. The Britons were unable to get a second out, and the Belles' runs multiplied.
"We just had a huge sixth inning and it sucked the life right out of Albion," Belles head coach Erin Sullivan said.
The Belles had nine hits and 12 runs in the sixth. The first three runs scored in the inning were off of Healy's triple which ran in sophomore Cathy Kurczak, Rashid and Corrigan. Fusaro ran in Calli Davison after she was walked by Briton pitcher Christa Scott, who relieved Andrea English.
After Davison scored, Corrigan singled, and Miesle and freshman Ashley Peterson scored. Senior pinch hitter Julie Rowan ran in senior Laura Heline to make the score 11-1.
The Belles continued pounding away at the Britons' poor defense, scoring three more times in the inning before Rowan was out at home and Miesle popped up to second base.
"Kristin Amram had 14 strikes in six innings, so she did a great job and our defense was solid. We were just hitting the ball hard," Sullivan said.
The Britons could not get another hit in the sixth, and the slaughter rule ended the game 14-1.
The Belles tarped the field Tuesday night to make sure it is ready for their game Thursday against MIAA opponent Hope College (21-8, 9-1 MIAA) at 3:30 p.m. at Gainey Field. That game will be a makeup for an April 4 matchup cancelled due to inclement weather.
