No. 22 BEARCATS SOFTBALL TEAM STRUGGLES AT THE PLATE, DROPS BOTH GAMES OF AMC DOUBLEHEADER TO HARRIS-STOWE

(ST. LOUIS, Mo., APRIL 5)- The No. 22 McKendree University softball team was swept for the first time this season in an American Midwest Conference doubleheader at Harris-Stowe State University on Monday. The Bearcats dropped game one, 2-1, before losing game two, 5-3.

McKendree, 19-11 overall and 5-3 in the AMC, will host Hannibal-LaGrange College on April 7th for an AMC doubleheader at 2 p.m.

Harris-Stowe took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of game one on a double by Sammi Lightfoot. The Bearcats countered in the sixth inning on a triple by senior outfielder Nicole Ostertag (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell HS) (O'Fallon, Mo./Francis Howell) that scored junior outfielder Jamie Corbier (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township HS) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) to make the score 2-1. The hit by Ostertag would be McKendree's only one of the game and the Bearcats fell in game one 2-1. Sophomore pitcher Autumn Allen (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East HS) (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East) fell to 10-6 on the season with the loss and had three strikeouts.

McKendree took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in game two on a single by senior third baseman Lindsay Newbold (Herrin,. Ill./Herrin HS) (Herrin, Ill./Herrin) that scored senior second baseman Natalee Rujawitz (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon HS) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon).

The Hornets would tie the game in the fourth inning on a single by Rachel Spurgeon, but the Bearcats took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on a single by junior first baseman Cathy Webb (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah HS) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) that scored Rujawitz. McKendree extended its lead to 3-1 in the sixth inning on a sac fly by Rujawitz that scored senior pinch hitter Liz Dains (Valley Park, Mo./Valley Park HS) (Valley Park, Mo./Valley Park) from third. Harris-Stowe scored four runs in the top of the seventh and McKendree failed to score in the bottom of the frame to lose the game 5-3. Senior pitcher Katie Ward (White Hall, Ill./North Greene HS) (White Hall, Ill./North Greene) fell to 9-5 overall on the season and had five strikeouts in the loss. Rujawitz had two hits in game two for McKendree, including one RBI and two runs scored.

-McK-

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