(BOURBONNAIS, Ill., April 1)- Junior pitcher BethAnn Swartz (Urbana, Ill., Urbana HS) had a career-high 11 strikeouts, but the McKendree softball team committed five errors in a 6-3 loss to No. 23 Bethel College (Ind.) on day one of the Olivet Nazarene University Invitational.

The Bearcats fell to 17-11 overall and will play Robert Morris College (Ill.) and Saint Xavier University (Ill.) on Saturday, April 2nd at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

The Bearcats committed two errors and gave up four runs in the top of the first inning to dig themselves in a hole at the start, only to cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning. An RBI double by senior outfielder Jamie Corbier (O'Fallon, Ill., O'Fallon Township HS) scored sophomore catcher Emily Mouyard (Johnson City, Ill., Johnson City HS) from third to put McKendree on the scoreboard and junior designated player Ashleigh Murray (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah HS) scored on a ground out to the shortstop by freshman outfielder Caitlin Stredde (Elgin, Ill., South Elgin HS) to put the Bearcats within striking distance, 4-2.

Junior second baseman Casey White (Buncombe, Ill., Vienna HS) scored from third on a wild pitch in the sixth inning to bring McKendree within one, 4-3, but two more errors by the Bearcats in the top of the seventh led to two more runs to extend the deficit to 6-3. McKendree's hopes of a late comeback floundered as the Bearcats failed to have a batter reach base in the bottom of the seventh to end their winning streak at four games.

Swartz pitched seven innings and struck out 11 and only walked one, but gave up nine hits in the loss to drop her record to 6-6 overall on the season. The Bearcats struggled at the plate with only four hits on the day.