(PULASKI, Tenn., February 20)- The McKendree University softball team dropped its final two games at the Martin Methodist Spring Meltdown tournament on Sunday, 8-0 in six innings to Lindsey Wilson College, and 2-1 in eight innings to Reinhardt University. Both teams received votes in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 ranking.

McKendree fell to 2-2 overall on the season and will return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 2 in Quincy, Ill., for a doubleheader against NCAA Division II Quincy University at 2 p.m.

The Bearcats struggled offensively against Lindsey Wilson in game one and only managed two hits in the loss. Freshman pitcher Heather Deering (Breese, Ill., Mater Dei Catholic HS) was tabbed with the loss in the contest, and junior outfielder Kari Frazier (Lebanon, Ill., Lebanon HS) and freshman outfielder Caitlin Stredde (Elgin, Ill., South Elgin HS) recorded the only two hits in the game.

The Blue Raiders took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, and added two more in the fifth inning and three in the sixth to deal McKendree its first loss of the season in six innings.

In their final game of the day against Reinhardt University, the Bearcats lit up the scoreboard first in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI double by senior first baseman Cathy Webb (Mascoutah, Ill., Mascoutah HS) that scored sophomore designated player Dana Schulte (New Baden, Ill., Wesclin). Reinhardt tied the game in the bottom of the inning and scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Webb, Stredde, and freshman third baseman Ashley Huecker (Lake St. Louis, Mo., Holt HS) each had a hit for McKendree, with Webb hitting a double with an RBI. Junior pitcher BethAnn Swartz (Urbana, Ill., Urbana HS) picked up the loss, throwing 7.2 innings with three strikeouts and one earned run on six hits.