(EVANSVILLE, Ind., Feb. 28)- The McKendree University softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader at University of Southern Indiana on Tuesday. The Bearcats fell 5-1 in game one, and lost 6-5 in eight innings in game two.

The Bearcats fell to 1-6 overall and will travel to Liberty, Mo., on Wednesday, March 7th to face future Great Lakes Valley Conference foe William Jewell College in a doubleheader at 2 p.m.

The Screaming Eagles scored three runs in the first two innings of game one to take an early lead and earn the 5-1 win.

A two-run home run by designated player Kristin O'Haver in the bottom of the first gave USI the early 2-0 lead, and a solo home run by catcher Lauren Hatfield in the next frame put the Bearcats behind 3-0 after two innings.

A single to right field by freshman centerfielder Erica Johnson (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) scored freshman shortstop Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) from second to cut the defict to 3-1, but USI scored twice in the sixth inning to put things out of reach.

Freshman first baseman Morgan Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) was 3-for-3 from the plate with a double, while Johnson was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Senior pitcher Autumn Allen (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East HS) fell to 0-2 on the season, pitching six innings and striking out six.

McKendree held a 4-1 lead through five innings in game two, but couldn't hold on in extra innings to fall 6-5 in eight innings.

The Bearcats struck first in game two, scoring on an RBI single up the middle by freshman first baseman Morgan Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) in the top of the first inning.

The Screaming Eagles knotted the game, 1-1, in the fourth on a single to left-centerfield by Katherine Belsito.

McKendree rebounded with three runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore leftfielder Caitlin Stredde (Pingree Grove, Ill./South Elgin) scored on an error by the leftfielder, and junior third baseman Dana Schulte (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) followed with a two-run double to left-center that put the Bearcats in the lead 4-1.

A two-run triple by Kara Werner in the sixth inning brought USI within one, 4-3, only to tie the game by scoring on an error.

The Bearcats took advantage in extra innings and regained the lead, 5-4, in the eighth on a single by sophomore second baseman Maddie Beckmann (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) that scored Morgan Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) from third.

USI tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a single by Werner, and a two-out single by centerfielder Teri Newmaster scored the game-winning run to end the game, 6-5.

M. Schulte led McKendree with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI in game two. Senior pitcher BethAnn Swartz (Urbana, Ill./Urbana HS) pitched 7.2 innings and had four strikeouts in the loss.