(LEBANON, Ill. – April 16) – The McKendree University softball team defeated University of Illinois at Springfield, 4-1, behind junior pitcher Amy Quirin (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West HS)'s (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) 12 strikeouts, before losing game two, 7-3.
McKendree, 19-13 overall and 7-7 in the AMC, hosts Lindenwood University Thursday at 2 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader. McKendree will also honor its eight senior players between games for senior day.
Game one remained scoreless until senior designated player Ashley Wombacher (Breese, Ill./Breese Mater Dei) (Breese, Ill./Mater Dei) hit a single to score senior first baseman Rachael Ostertag (O' Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell) (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell) from third. Freshman third baseman Nicole Steele (Danville, Ill./Schlarman) (Danville, Ill./Schlarman) followed with a single to score junior catcher Angie Maue (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin HS) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) giving the Bearcats a 2-0 lead.
Quirin gave up one single in the fifth inning, but struck out three to keep the Prairie Stars from gaining any ground, before McKendree struck again in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third, Maue hit a single to score junior centerfielder Kayla White (Buncombe, Ill./Vienna HS) (Buncombe, Ill./Vienna) and senior rightfielder Molly Reed (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) to build a 4-0 lead. Illinois-Springfield scored one in the top of the sixth, but Quirin struck out three over the last two innings to get the win.
Quirin improved to 7-6 on the season, and is now the career leader at McKendree in complete games pitched. She is also tied with Natalie Jameson for wins in a career at McKendree with 50. Maue led McKendree in game one, going 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
In game two, a fielders choice by senior shortstop Courtney Aldridge (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) score White from third to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. A triple by junior outfielder Amber Nikolauzyk (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah HS) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) scored freshman Ashley Parrott (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) to build a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.
After a scoreless third inning, Nikolauzyk hit a home run to left-centerfield to push McKendree's lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth, but the Prairie Stars scored seven runs over the next two innings, powered by home runs by Natalie Bertucci in the fourth and fifth innings, to take game two, 7-3.
Sophomore pitcher Katie Ward (White Hall, Ill./North Greene HS) (White Hall, Ill./North Greene) fell to 6-3 on the season with the loss and Nikolauzyk was 2-3 at the plate with a home run, a triple, two RBI and a run scored.
-McK-
