Even though Saint Mary's lost a doubleheader Saturday to Alma 9-1 and 4-0 - only its second and third losses of the season - it got its season back on track immediately by sweeping Manchester 10-2 and 20-0.
In the first game against Alma, the Scots' hitters got the offense going early, scoring eight runs in the first inning off of seven hits. Belles pitcher Calli Davison, however, calmed down after the first inning, allowing only two more hits and one more run.
The Belles failed to score a run until the fifth inning when freshman second baseman Mo Healy scored on an RBI from senior shortstop Sarah Miesle. The slaughter rule came into effect after the top of the fifth to give Alma the win.
In their second loss to Alma, the Belles failed to score any runs on seven hits with nine runners left on base. Sophomore pitcher Kristin Amram allowed just four hits, but the Scots managed to capitalize on each hit.
The two wins put Alma (17-7) in first in the MIAA with a league record of 4-0. The Belles (13-3) are in eighth, 0-2 in the league.
"They hit the ball really well in the first inning and jumped out on top. It's really hard to come back from being down 8-0 in the first inning," Belles junior captain McKenna Corrigan said. "They did a good job of scoring first."
For how anemic the Belles were against Alma, they were just as effective against Manchester Sunday. Davison allowed seven hits with only two runs. Manchester freshman pitcher Kristi Brown allowed 12 hits in the 10-2 loss.
Healy said the Belles' dominance of the Spartans avenged their earlier losses to Alma.
"It's a big confidence boost. I think we were a little bit nervous about playing out first conference game," she said. "Now that we've got that out of the way ... [we can] play to our full potential and have fun."
In the sixth inning, sophomore second baseman Cathy Kurczak, Davison, Peterson, Healy, Miesle and sophomore catcher Ashley Fusaro all scored a run each for the Belles. In an outstanding offensive performance, Peterson also scored in the first and fourth. Sophomore first baseman Katie Rashid contributed a run in the fifth and Miesle had a run in the sixth.
The second game against Manchester brought even better results for the Belles, who won the game 20-0, ending the game in only five innings.
Manchester junior pitcher Tish Bitner allowed 23 hits in the loss. Amram pitched two innings and allowed just one hit before Davison pitched three innings in relief, allowing four hits.
The Belles broke the game open in the second inning with nine hits. Freshman outfielder Sara Montelongo, Kurczak, Davison, Healy and Fusaro each scored one run. Montelongo also hit a three-run double to add to the Saint Mary's lead. Miesle scored an unearned run and had a three-run homer later in the inning, before Kurczak hit a home run in the third.
In the fourth inning, five Belles scored unearned runs (Montelongo, Kurczak, Rashid, Peterson and Healy). Healy also singled to bat in two runs. Fusaro contributed a homerun in the fifth.
Corrigan said the team will work on its confidence for its next league game against Hope Wednesday.
"Our coach mentioned something about having 'it.' It is the feeling you have when you know something is going to go well or the feeling you have when you're doing well," she said. "We didn't have 'it' ... against Alma. We have to make sure we have 'it' for the rest of our league games."
