BELMONT – Nothing was going to keep Belmont from getting its game in with Lancaster on Monday afternoon, and nothing was going to stop them from heading home with a victory.
    After postponing the game once before and moving it from Lancaster to Belmont, not even a little rain, some unseasonably cold temperatures and puddles on the field would keep the non-conference softball game from getting played.
    And, despite the poor playing conditions and falling behind on three occasions, the Lady Braves found a way to come out on top 9-8 against the Flying Arrows on a rain-soaked, muddy diamond at Bond Park on April 15.
    “This was a huge win for us,” said Belmont head coach Jeff Hodgson. “Playing in bad weather, you’d rather win than lose.”
    Second baseman Jordyn Kamps laced a two-run single to center to cap a five-run, fifth-inning rally that put the Braves ahead 9-6, and senior pitcher Kalyn Kamps worked her way out of trouble in the sixth and seventh innings to lock up the victory.
    The Braves (3-1 overall) grabbed a 4-3 advantage in the fourth inning after plating a pair of two-out runs off Lancaster’s Ella Marcue. Ka. Kamps tied the game with a RBI-single and Emma Eastlick followed with a run-scoring double to put the hosts into the lead.
    The Arrows (2-1) answered right back with three runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead 6-4. Kelsey Kelly plated the tying run with a sacrifice fly, and Dreona Drew tripled in a run and scored on an infield single by Haley Hentrich to put the guests up by two runs.
    Undaunted, Belmont went back to work in the bottom of the fifth, plating five clutch runs to take a 9-6 lead. Mallary Ray doubled in a run and Emma Lee singled in another for the Braves, while Audrey Wedig, Katelyn Scobert and Ka. Kamps all walked and scored during the rally.
    A sac fly by Eastlick scored Schobert for the go-ahead run, and J. Kamps followed with a two-out single to drive in Lee and courtesy runner Brianna Riechers for the eventual winning runs.
    Six of Belmont’s nine runs scored with two outs in the book.
    Lancaster shaved a run off the Braves’ lead in the sixth inning and plated another off a pair of Belmont errors in the seventh to make things interesting, but Ka. Kamps struck out Kasey Kelly with the tying run on second base to seal the victory.
    “We battled through a lot of adversity today and really came back,” noted Hodgson. “We think we have a chance to be a pretty good team. We’re getting there.”
    Ka. Kamps earned the win, allowing eight runs (four earned) on 12 hits and issuing just one walk while striking out eight batters including the side in the seventh inning. She also led the Braves at the plate going 2-for-2 with three runs and a RBI.
    Schobert scored three times after walking once and getting hit by a pitch twice, and Wedig walked four times with a run and a RBI. Eastlick and J. Kamps each drove in two runs for the hosts.
    Marcue surrendered nine runs on just six hits, but she walked 10 batters and hit three others. Six of the walked batters either came around to score or drove in a run, while two of the hit batters came around to score as well.
    Marcue also doubled and drove in two runs. Hore went 3-for-4 with two runs, while Hentrich banged out a pair of doubles and went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
    Tiffany Leeser went 2-for-4 for the Arrows. Steph Tranel reached three times and scored twice, and Drew tripled with a run and a RBI.
    At Belmont, on Saturday, April 13, Jordyn Kamps went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple and Kalyn Kamps tossed six scoreless innings as Belmont put away the Iowa-Grant Panthers, 8-2, in a non-conference affair.
    The Braves took control with a five-run rally in the second inning, and they added insurance runs in the third and fifth innings to go up 8-0.
    The Panthers (1-2) avoided the shutout with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning.
    Emma Eastlick launched a triple and Holly Voigts drilled a double for the Braves.
    Belmont will host a Fan Appreciation Night when they host Potosi in a Six Rivers West contest on Thursday, April 18, at 5 p.m. The Braves also have non-conference make-up games at home against Argyle on Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m., and against Pecatonica on Monday, April 22.
   
Lancaster… 210  031  1 - 8  12  1
Belmont….. 200  250  x - 9    6  3
Leading Hitters: Kalyn Kamps 2x2. 2B– Mallary Ray, Emma Eastlick.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- Marcue.

Iowa-Grant… 000  000  2 - 2  4  2
Belmont……. 052  010  x - 8  7  4
Leading Hitters: Jordyn Kamps 3x3. 2B– J. Kamps, Emma Eastlick. 2B– J. Kamps, Holly Voigts.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- Stanton.