(LEBANON, Ill., March 27)- The McKendree College softball remained undefeated in the American Midwest Conference after defeating visiting Harris-Stowe State University Hornets, 14-0 and 22-0.

 

The Bearcats struck first when a double by catcher Angie Maue (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin HS) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) scored both centerfielder Kayla White (Buncombe, Ill./Vienna HS) (Buncombe, Ill./Vienna) and shortstop Courtney Aldridge (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) (Dupo, Ill./Dupo). First baseman Ashley Wombacher (Breese, Ill./Breese Mater Dei) (Breese, Ill./Breese Mater Dei) then scored off an error by the Hornet third baseman, giving McKendree a 3-0 after one inning.

 

A scoreless second inning was followed by the Bearcats scoring 13 in the bottom of the third. A single by leftfielder Amber Nikolauzyk (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah HS) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) scored designated hitter Lauren Meyer (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) followed by a single by White to score Leah Cometto (Coulterville, Ill./Coulterville) (Coulterville, Ill./Coulterville). Another single by Courtney Aldridge (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) scored third baseman Ashley Vallero (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville) (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville), followed by Wombacher drawing a walk to score Nikolauzyk, but keep the bases loaded. The bases wouldn’t be full for long though as Maue would hit a grand slam followed three batters later by a Cometto three-run homer, making the score 14-0, where it would stay.

 

Aldridge led the Bearcats at the plate going 3-3 with two runs, and an RBI. White kept up her hot streak, going 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Maue’s grand slam was her fifth home run of the year, and Cometto’s three-run shot was her fourth of the year.

 

Sloane Hertlein (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) picked up the win, her fifth of the year, after throwing 5 innings and only giving up 3 hits.

 

McKendree started game two even hotter, scoring five runs in the top of the first. First baseman Rachael Ostertag (O' Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell) (O’Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell) doubled to the fence to score rightfielder Molly Reed (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) and White. Designated hitter Becky Sommer (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg) (Freeburg, Ill/Freeburg) would then score off an error by the third baseman, followed by a Cometto double to score Ostertag. Aldridge would then score on a wild pitch, giving the Bearcats a 5-0 lead.

 

The Bearcats biggest inning came in the third inning, when Vallero would score on a single by Aldridge, followed by Cometto coming in on a wild pitch. Aldridge then scored off a Rachel Ferguson (Chatham, Ill./Glenwood) (Chatham, Ill./Glenwood) single followed by Rightfielder Molly Reed (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) taking a pitch deep and over the left-centerfield fence for the grand slam. Sommer would draw a walk, only to score when Ostertag homered over the centerfield fence. Vallero then scored off a Nikolauzyk single, increasing the lead to 15-0 Bearcats.

 

Reed opened up the scoring in the fourth inning, scoring on a wild pitch, followed by Sommer doing the same. A single by Cometto scored Ostertag and Vallero would come around to score on an error by the centerfielder.  The fifth inning wouldn’t be much different, as Aldridge tripled to score Ostertag and Reed, and then scored herself on an error by the centerfielder making the score 22-0, where it would remain.

 

Ostertag was 4-5 at the plate with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI’s and Reed was 3-4 with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI’s. Colene Pogue (Mason, Ill./Waltonville) (Mason, Ill./Waltonville) picked up the no-hitter win, throwing 5 innings walking one and striking out 10.

 

The Bearcats, now 18-7 overall and 6-0 in the conference, return to action Wednesday at noon when they host Olivet Nazarene University at Bearcat Field.