Saint Mary's ended its season on a five-game winning streak, turning a rough mid-season into a successful finish. The Belles finished with a record of 20-13, though their 9-7 conference record was not enough to secure them a spot in the postseason.
"I think we definitely kept up the fight," junior infielder Katie Mitchell said. "We had some pretty tough setbacks in the middle of our season, but we stayed confident, played within ourselves and finished our season on a positive note by winning six of the last eight games."
The Belles had a tough season in terms of playing conditions, suffering seven game postponements due to rain. Their doubleheader against Hope was rescheduled four times before the teams finally managed to split the series.
Saint Mary's will have a number of returning players next season, but it will lose power hitter senior Hayley Bojorquez. Bojorquez has started over 30 games in each of her four years in the Belles program.
"We're losing Hayley, a big asset to both our offense and defense," Mitchell said. "We'll miss her experience in the outfield and her leadership in the dugout."
Though they had a disappointing season, the Belles are already looking toward next year and have set a few goals they are determined to meet.
"Personally I think, and I'm sure my teammates would agree, the goal is to make it to the conference tournament," Mitchell said. "We want to prove that we really are a talented team that deserves to be there."
