The William Jewell softball team opened the home portion of the 2016 schedule with a blast, launching seven home runs on their way to a sweep of Bellarmine University by scores of 6-1 and 9-4. The Cardinals move to 8-12 overall, 2-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while the Knights drop to 13-15, and 3-3 in GLVC play. 

Both teams entered the game shorthanded as Jewell is without the services of third baseman Kelsey Morgan who is out for the season, along with freshman leadoff hitter Maddie Greenstreet. Bellarmine made the road trip minus their All-American pitcher Allie Foster. 

Game one was all Cardinals as senior Megan Barnes led off the third inning with a solo shot, the first of her career, to give Jewell a 1-0 lead. Madi Giles and Nona Pauline followed with a double and single respectively before Brooke Bernard reached on an error that scored Giles. 

The Knights cut the lead in half in the sixth inning after Kelly Ely doubled and scored on an errant throw to bring Bellarmine within one at 2-1. 

Jewell responded in the bottom half of the frame scoring four runs on three hits to reach the final margin of 6-1, including a three run home run from senior Shelby McGraw to blow the game open.

McGraw was also strong in the circle in a bounce back performance, going all seven innings and allowing just one unearned run, on three hits, and striking out five. The Cardinals totaled six hits and struck out just once, and managed to overcome three errors in the field. 


In game two Bellarmine came out firing scoring four runs in the first three innings forcing head coach Dustin Combs to make a change in the circle. McGraw, who had started the game in right field, returned to the rubber in relief of starter Taylor Friesen. 

In the third inning Pauline began to right the Jewell ship blasting a two-run home run over the right field fence, scoring herself and Giles who had singled. Phoebe Dabbour then followed with a solo shot to pull the Cardinals within one at 4-3. 

In the next inning, freshman Anna Biondo recorded her first career home run as she led off the frame with solo blast to tie the game at four. The Cardinals kept things moving in the fifth as Bernard doubled allowing Giles to score on the ensuing error. Dabbour followed up with another long ball, her second on the game, to put Jewell up 7-4. But the Cards werent done yet as McGraw came back with a solo shot of her own in the sixth, her second of the day, followed by an RBI single from Pauline to push Jewell to the 9-4 advantage. 

McGraw was again solid in the circle, going 4.2 innings and giving up no runs, four hits, three walks, while striking out two. She was also excellent defensively as she recorded 13 assists on ground balls back to the circle between the two games. 

Offensively, Jewell outhit the Knights 11-6 with Pauline leading the way with three. Pauline and Dabbour also led the team with three RBI while Dabbour and Giles each scored two runs. 

Jewell returns to action tomorrow at the Spratt Sports Complex as they take on No. 25 Southern Indiana in a GLVC double header beginning at noon.