(ORANGE BEACH, Ala., March 12) – The No. 25 McKendree University softball team earned a split of two games played on Friday at the Gulf Coast Invitational held in Orange Beach, Ala. McKendree lost game one to No. 15 Lee University, 1-0, but bounced back in the afternoon to defeat Grand View University, 10-6, in eight innings.
McKendree, now 6-6 overall, will play Oklahoma Christian University at 11 a.m. on Saturday, followed with a matchup with Spring Hill College at 2:30 p.m.
Game one was a pitcher's duel with both teams combining for only four hits. The only hit that mattered in the end was a walk-off home run by Lee's Danielle Balough in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game, 1-0. Sophomore pitcher Autumn Allen (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East HS) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East) was tabbed with the loss after throwing six innings and striking out two.
There was a lot more offense in the second game of the day with both teams combining for 22 hits, but also combining for seven errors. McKendree took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a single by senior designated player Lindsay Newbold (Herrin,. Ill./Herrin HS) (Herrin, Ill./Herrin) that scored both senior third baseman Natalee Rujawitz (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon HS) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) and senior outfielder Nicole Ostertag (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell HS) (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell).
The Vikings evened the score in the second inning with two runs, but the Bearcats countered with another two runs in the third inning. Junior outfielder Jamie Corbier (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township HS) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) scored on an error and a double by senior catcher Angie Maue (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin HS) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) scored Newbold from second base to take a 4-2 lead.
Grand View scored one run in the fourth inning on a home run and added three more runs in the top of the fifth inning to lead 6-4, but McKendree cut the deficit to 6-5 in the bottom of the frame on a single by sophomore pinch hitter Kari Frazier (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon HS) (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon) that scored Corbier from third.
A single by Maue scored Ostertag in the seventh inning to knot the score at 6-6 and after holding the Vikings scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, the Bearcats loaded the bases and Maue hit a walk-off grand slam to end the game with a 10-6 win.
Allen earned the win pitching in relief and had three strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Senior Katie Ward (White Hall, Ill./North Greene HS) (White Hall, Ill./North Greene) pitched 5.1 innings and had six strikeouts. Maue led the Bearcats at the plate with three hits, including a double and a grand slam, to go along with her six RBI and one run scored.
-McK-
