Notre Dame, Ind. – The Wheaton softball team returned to the road on Wednesday for a non-conference doubleheader with St. Mary's (Ind.). The twinbill between these two teams had been postponed on two previous occasions due to weather. The Belles (6-12) shut out Wheaton 4-0 in the first game and SMC accomplished the sweep with a 7-6 victory in the second game.

Wheaton's (12-9) doubleheader against Kalamazoo that had been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon in Michigan is postponed due to weather. The two squads are working on finding a makeup date to play the postponed doubleheader.
St. Mary's won today's first game 4-0 as the Belles scored four runs, on six hits, with one error. Wheaton had no runs, on six hits, with four errors. Starting pitcher Alese Antonello (5-6) worked six innings as she allowed four runs, including two earned runs. The senior scattered six hits, with one strikeout and two walks.

Infielder Elizabeth Meyer was 2-for-3 at the plate. Catcher Madison Forberg was 2-for-4. Antonello and Livi Figueroa each tallied a single for the guests.

The Belles scored one run in the bottom of the first inning to gain an early 1-0 lead. The hosts added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning to gain a 4-0 lead that would become the final score.

The Belles hung on to win today's second game, 7-6. St. Mary's scored seven runs, on 10 hits, with two errors. The Thunder tallied six runs, on nine hits, with three errors. Thunder starting pitcher Shylah Dozeman pitched for six innings as she allowed seven runs, including four earned runs as she gave up 10 hits.

Olivia Nahorniak was 2-for-3, with three RBI. Meyer had another multi-hit game as she was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Freshman Abby Whitehead was 2-for-4 with one RBI. Sydney Broderick, Paige Andrews and Forberg added singles for the Thunder.
Broderick hit a one-out single in the top of the first inning and she scored three batters later on an RBI-single by Whitehead. The Belles tallied a run in the bottom of the first inning to even the game at 1-1. St. Mary's scored once in the bottom of the second inning and twice more in the bottom of the third to increase their lead to 4-1 after three innings. The hosts plated three more runs in the bottom of the fourth as SMC extended their lead to 7-1.

Wheaton responded with three runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Belles' lead to 7-4. Forberg hit an RBI-single to start Wheaton's scoring in the inning and Nahorniak hit a two-run single.

Whitehead led off the top of the sixth inning with a double to leftfield and Gracey Rockness pinch ran for her. Rockness scampered to third base on a passed ball and she scored on a ground out by Figueroa to trim the St. Mary's lead to 7-5. Broderick led off the top of the seventh inning by advancing to third base on a SMC error. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Nahorniak in the next at bat. Andrews reached on a second St. Mary's error in the inning, however, the Belles held the Thunder offense at bay and hung on for the 7-6 victory.

Wheaton remains on the road Saturday for its next scheduled contest as the Thunder travel to Millikin for a CCIW doubleheader against the Big Blue.