(LIBERTY, Mo., March 6)- The McKendree University softball team hit four home runs on Tuesday in a doubleheader sweep at William Jewell College, 7-6 and 6-0.

McKendree is now 3-6 overall and will travel to Tucson, Ariz., to compete at the Tucson Invitational on March 10-14.

The Bearcats led 7-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but a four run frame by William Jewell cut the lead to 7-6. McKendree closed out the win by holding the Cardinals to no hits in their final four at bats.

Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, the Bearcats go on the board twice in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Sophomore outfielder Caitlin Stredde (Pingree Grove, Ill./South Elgin) drew a bases loaded walk that tied the game, and freshman shortstop Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) followed with a single to put McKendree in the lead.

The Cardinals rebounded to tie the game, 2-2, on a lead-off homer in the bottom of the frame by designated player Erica Scowley.

Senior outfielder Kari Frazier (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon HS) hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to give McKendree a 4-2 lead, and another two-run homer in the fourth inning by junior third baseman Dana Schulte (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) put the Bearcats in front 6-2 after five innings.

A solo homer by junior catcher Emily Mouyard (Johnson City, Ill./Johnson City), McKendree's third of the game, made the score 7-2, before William Jewell cut the deficit to 7-6, in the bottom of the sixth. The Cardinals scored four runs off of three hits, including two RBI doubles, and an error in the inning. Senior pitcher Autumn Allen (Fairview Heights, Ill./Belleville East HS) entered the contest with two outs and a runner on second, but struck out Ashley Nation looking to end the scoring threat.

The Bearcats did not reach base in the seventh inning, and Allen forced a pop out and had two strikeouts in the final inning to pick up the save and end the game.

Senior pitcher BethAnn Swartz (Urbana, Ill./Urbana HS) improved to 1-2 overall and had two strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. Allen pitched 1.1 innings and had three strikeouts in the save.

Frazier, D. Schulte, Ponce, and redshirt junior designated player Cassi Brown (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin HS) each had two hits in game one.

McKendree used a four-run third inning en route to a 6-0 shut-out of William Jewell in game two.

An RBI single by freshman outfielder Erica Johnson (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) put the Bearcats up 1-0 in the first inning, and McKendree added four more runs on four hits and two errors in the third inning to build a 5-0 lead.

Mouyard added a solo homer in the seventh inning, her second of the day, to put the Bearcats in the lead 6-0 to earn the win.

Allen improved to 1-2 overall with the win, striking out six in seven innings of work.

Johnson, Mouyard, and Brown each had two hits in game two.