Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Dominican University softball team pounded out 17 hits but stranded 16 runners as they dropped a doubleheader to the visiting St. Mary's College (Ind.) Belles on Sunday evening. The Stars fall to 8-6 on the season with Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play opening next weekend with the Stars hosting the Marian University Sabres on Saturday and Lakeland College Muskies on Sunday.

Game 1: St. Mary's (Ind.) 5, Dominican 3

With the Stars leading 2-1 in the top of the fourth, the St. Mary's Belles chased Dominican's Haley Locher (Lisle, Ill.) from the game, putting up three runs in the frame on five hits before Sarah Slouber (West Chicago, Ill.) took to the circle to end the inning with the Stars trailing 4-2.

Alyssa Domico (Naperville, Ill.) led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and later scored on a two-out single to left to pull the Stars within 4-3.

The Belles got that run back in the top of the sixth as Nina Vlahiotis stroked an RBI single to left with one out. Moranda Hegedus followed with a double to chase Slouber from the game with one out. Dominique Schneider (Lockport, Ill.) went to the circle for the Stars and ended the threat after issuing a walk to load the bases. Schneider got the first hitter she faced to bounce back to her for a fielder's choice and then got the final out of the inning on a strike out.

Dominican stranded a two-out triple by Ashley Rea (Lockport, Ill.) in the sixth and a one-out single by Kaitlin Barajas (Dyer, Ind.) in the seventh.

In total, the Stars rapped out ten hits but stranded nine runners. Domico, Barajas and Rea tallied two hits apiece while Sara Hausl (St. Charles, Ill.) went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Locher was tagged with the loss, lasting just three innings and being charged with four runs on six hits and one walk.

For the Belles, Callie Selner moved to 5-2 on the year, picking up the complete-game victory. Selner was charged with three runs, two earned, on ten hits and two walks while striking out four.

Game 2: St. Mary's (Ind.) 5, Dominican 2

St. Mary's opened the scoring in the top of the first when Sellner doubled to the gap in left center with two down to score Kayla Chapman. Dominican evened the score in their half of the first when Domico doubled to score Rea who led off the Stars' half of the inning with a walk.

The Stars pulled in front in the bottom of the fourth when Armani Procter (Chicago, Ill.) roped an RBI single to center to score Hausl.

St. Mary's answered with a three-spot in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on a pair of Dominican miscues in the field. The Belles added a run in the top of the sixth to open a 6-3 lead.

Dominican did manage to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Domico grounded out to short to end the threat.

Schneider took the loss for the Stars, being charged with five runs, just two earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out six. Schneider falls to 0-1 on the season while Sarah Burke moved to 3-2 for the Belles.