Saint Mary's stormed out to a 30-6 win in five innings at Kalamazoo on Saturday and dominated 23-5 in Game 2, which was delayed until Tuesday due to inclement weather on Saturday.
The Belles never looked back during Game 1 as they blasted 20 hits off the Hornets pitching staff. This offensive explosion propelled the Belles to their first MIAA victory of the season.
Saint Mary's actually trailed after the first inning, 2-1, in its rout of Kalamazoo. In the next two innings, the Belles scored nine and 14 runs, respectively. This put the game out of reach for the winless Hornets.
Junior Hayley Bojorquez had a phenomenal game as she belted a grand slam in the fourth inning. The marked her seventh homer of the season which ties the St. Mary's school record. This marked the end of a stellar week for Bojorquez, as she was named the MIAA Position Player of the Week.
"Hayley has been so consistent all year long, every time she goes up to the plate she just has the mindset that she's going to get a hit," Belles coach Erin Sullivan said. "She's a great leader, the only junior on the team, getting ready to be the only senior and leading by example."
Sophomore Kate Mitchell came up big at the plate, going 6 for 6 and showing a great deal of improvement over previous games.
"We absolutely needed her to hit and we just kept putting her out there," Sullivan said. "She's batting 1.000 in conference. She looks like a completely different hitter, very confident."
The Belles repeated their performance in the second game as they easily handed the Hornets a second loss. Saint Mary's recorded 14 hits and scored 17 runs in the first two innings. This allowed the Belles to gain an early advantage and never look back.
With the success the Belles had against Kalamazoo, the Belles have snapped a four game skid. They hope to continue that success as they travel to Albion today.
Saint Mary's now enters a stretch of MIAA action and looks to keep its success rolling. Albion will prove a formidable opponent. The Britons' record does not speak for the danger that they pose for the Belles. Saint Mary's will need to not become overly confident after two blowout wins.
"It's a great start, it's always good to be 2-0 and its helpful for our hitters to keep getting at bats but every team is so different," Sullivan said. "[The Britons] are hungry for a win… they can't be underestimated."
The Belles will travel to Albion today with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.
