(LEBANON, Ill., March 6) – The McKendree University softball team lost both games of its home opening doubleheader to University of Missouir-St. Louis on Friday afternoon. The Tritons won game 11-2, before edging the hosts 6-1 in game two.
McKendree, ranked No. 25 in the NAIA, will travel to Orange Beach, Ala., on March 12 to compete in the Gulf Coast Invitational host by the University of Mobile.
UMSL struck first in the top of the first inning on a home run by Karey Kruse and added two more in the top of the second inning on a two run home run by Heather Arras. McKendree got on the board in the third inning on an RBI single by senior catcher Angie Maue (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin HS) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) that scored junior outfielder Jamie Corbier (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township HS) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) from second to make the score 3-1.
The Tritons added one more run on an RBI single by Katie Bartlett and took a 5-1 lead after JaCee Ellis drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth inning. McKendree added another run in the bottom of the fifth on a single by senior third baseman Lindsay Newbold (Herrin,. Ill./Herrin HS) (Herrin, Ill./Herrin) to trail 5-2 after five innings.
The Tritons added six runs in the sixth inning to take a 11-2 lead and the Bearcats failed to score in the bottom of the frame to end the game in the sixth inning.
Corber had two hits and a run scored to lead McKendree at the plate. Sophomore pitcher Autumn Allen (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East HS) Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East) was tabbed with the loss after pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up eight runs on seven hits and striking out five.
UMSL also scored in the first inning of game two on a fly ball to centerfield that scored Brooke Meyer from third. The score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when Kruse hit a single to score Megan Brussman. Katie Barlett followed with a three-run homer to give the visitors a 5-0 lead. The Bearcats got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single by sophomore outfielder Kari Frazier (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon HS) (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon) that scored freshman shortstop Elizabeth Hess (Evansville, Ill./Sparta HS) (Evansville, Ill./Sparta) to make the score 5-1.
Brussman struck again for UMSL in the sixth inning, hitting a single that scored Cortney Ostendorf from second base to give the Tritons a 6-1 lead where it stayed.
Senior pitcher Katie Ward (White Hall, Ill./North Greene HS) (White Hall, Ill./North Greene) was given the loss after throwing seven innings and giving up six runs on 10 hits and striking out eight. Frazier, senior outfielder Nicole Ostertag (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell HS) (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell) and junior first baseman Cathy Webb (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah HS) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) each had a hit for McKendree.
-McK-
