(LEBANON, Ill. – April 17) – The McKendree University softball team split a senior day doubleheader with Lindenwood University Thursday, losing game one, 3-0, before winning game two, 8-2.

McKendree, now 20-14 overall, travels to Springfield, Ill., Saturday and Sunday for a tournament hosted by the University of Illinois at Springfield. McKendree will play Saint Mary of the Woods College at 1 p.m. Saturday, before facing the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) at 3 p.m.

In game one, Lindenwood scored on a single by right fielder Dani Merli to take a 1-0 lead. The Lady Lions added two more in the top of the sixth inning, scoring one run on a double by pitcher Abby Wesling and another on a single by second baseman Stacey Johnson, to take a 3-0 lead and get the win.

McKendree junior pitcher Amy Quirin (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West HS) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) struck out nine, but was tabbed with the loss, dropping her record to 7-7 on the season. Wesling held the Bearcats to only four hits in game one.

In game two, Lindenwood took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, scoring on a single by Johnson. McKendree answered with a run in the bottom of the third inning on a single by junior centerfielder Kayla White (Buncombe, Ill./Vienna HS) (Buncombe, Ill./Vienna) to tie the game 1-1.

The Bearcats exploded in the bottom of the fourth inning, breaking the tie on an RBI double by senior pinch hitter Renee Lanenga (Tinley Park, Ill./Tinley Park) (Tinley Park, Ill./Tinley Park). Junior leftfielder Amber Nikolauzyk (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah HS) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) followed with a two-RBI single to make the score 4-1 and senior rightfielder Molly Reed (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) (Carrollton, Ill./Carrollton) also singled in a run, giving the Bearcats a 5-1 lead.

McKendree added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runs off a home run to left-centerfield by junior catcher Angie Maue (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin HS) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin). Senior shortstop Courtney Aldridge (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) also hit an RBI single in the inning, giving the Bearcats a 8-1 lead. A lead-off home run by Lindenwood's Nickie Jones in the sixth inning made the score 8-2, but the Bearcats defense shut the door to take game two.

Senior pitcher Colene Pogue (Mason, Ill./Waltonville) (Mason, Ill./Waltonville) went the distance for McKendree, striking out four and forcing 11 groundouts to improve to 7-4 on the season. Lindenwood's Aubrey Moss took the loss, throwing four innings and striking out five. Reed and White were both 2-4 with an RBI to lead McKendree, while Jones led the Lady Lions with a 2-3 effort at the plate with home run, an RBI and a run scored.

-McK-