After nearly a week without play, the Belles took the field against Carthage and dropped both contests against the Lady Reds, losing the first matchup 6-1 and the second 10-4.
The Belles (8-6) entered the game riding a six-game winning streak, hitting a .350 average and allowing less than five earned runs during the streak. However, in its matchups against No. 22 Carthage (8-4), Saint Mary’s did not play up to its recent success offensively or defensively.
In their first matchup, the Belles were held to just two hits made by sophomores designated hitter Jillian Busfield and outfielder Sarah Callis. Busfield recorded the only score for the Belles, reaching the plate on a wild pass. Other than that unearned run, the Lady Reds’ pitching was relentless, retiring the first eight Saint Mary’s batters and striking out five overall between freshmen pitchers Makenzie Walker and Jessica Kirby.
Defensively, the Belles allowed five runs in the first three innings and allowed the Lady Reds to hit three doubles and a homerun. Senior pitcher and captain Callie Selner struggled. She allowed five hits, five earned runs and earned only one strikeout in three innings. Sophomore pitcher Sarah Burke entered in the fourth and was able to stop the Lady Reds, holding them to one run and two hits in the final three innings.
While the Belles produced more offense in the second game of their doubleheader, their defense was just as faulty as the first game. Saint Mary’s took the lead early when Busfield hit an RBI single in the first inning, but Carthage responded with six unanswered runs in the first three innings. The Lady Reds finished their six-run streak with a homerun by junior outfielder Olivia Scott in the third inning.
The Belles turned their luck around in the sixth inning as Busfield scored their first of three consecutive runs in the inning off of a sacrifice hit by Burke. However, Carthage put an end to their comeback by scoring four consecutive runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game away.
Burke pitched the entire game for the Belles, allowing 13 hits and six earned runs.
The Belles look to bounce back against Anderson, which enters the matchup on an eight-game winning streak, Thursday at Saint Mary’s College softball field at 3:30 p.m.
