Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (EVANSVILLE, Ind., March 29)- The McKendree University softball team split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader on Friday, holding on to win game one, 5-3, before dropping game two in 10 innings, 3-2.

The Bearcats are now 5-14 overall and 3-8 in the GLVC, and will travel to Owensboro, Ky., on Saturday, March 30 to play Kentucky Wesleyan College in a conference doubleheader at noon.

McKendree jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of game one, and held off a late-inning rally by the Screaming Eagles to hold on 5-3.

The Bearcats got on the board first on an RBI single by senior catcher Emily Mouyard (Johnson City, Ill./Johnson City) that brought in junior outfielder Caitlin Stredde (Pingree Grove, Ill./South Elgin) for the first run of the game. Sophomore designated player Kelsie Stoszkus (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) drew a bases loaded walk to score sophomore first baseman Morgan Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) from third, and senior third baseman Dana Schulte (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) hit a double to right-center that scored three to give McKendree the 5-0 lead.

The Screaming Eagles scored a single run in the fifth inning, and added two more with two on in the bottom of the seventh, but freshman relief pitcher Taylor Barnouski (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) forced a ground out to end the game and earn the save,

Sophomore pitcher Susan Goetze (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central) improved to 4-3 overall and had five strikeouts in the win.

Stredde and M. Schulte each had two hits in game one, while D. Schulte had a double and three RBI.

Game two was knotted up 2-2 at the end of the seventh and wasn't decided until Southern Indiana scored in the bottom of the 10th to take game two 3-2.

The Bearcats scored first again in game two, taking a 1-0 lead on a double by sophomore shortstop Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) that scored junior rightfielder Kay Koonce (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) from second base.

USI scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-1 lead, but McKendree answered in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Stoszkus that brought in Ponce to tie the game 2-2.

The Screaming Eagles loaded the bases in the 10th inning and scored on a throwing error to end the game 3-2.

M. Schulte and Mouyard each had two hits for the Bearcats in game two.