Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., March 26)- The McKendree University softball team earned its second conference doubleheader sweep of the season on Wednesday over University of Illinois Springfield, 11-10 and 5-1.

The Bearcats improved to 10-13 overall and 5-7 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and will travel to Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, March 29 to play Bellarmine University in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. ET.

McKendree jumped out to an early lead, and had to withstand a late rally by the Prairie Stars to earn the 11-10 win in game one. The Bearcats scored six runs in the second inning spurred by a grand slam by junior centerfielder Erica Johnson (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin). McKendree added two runs each in the third and fourth innings to take a 10-3 lead, but Illinois Springfield scored seven runs over the next few innings to tie the game 10-10 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Junior pinch hitter Lindsay Schmitz (Streator, Ill./Streator Township) delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh with a flyout to center field that scored freshman second baseman Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) from third to win the game.

Sophomore pitcher Taylor Barnouski (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) improved to 2-3 overall with the win in relief. Johnson, junior first baseman Katie Nauman (Amboy, Ill./Amboy), and sophomore Kaiti Bowen (Elliott, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) each had two hits to lead McKendree offensively, with Johnson picking up four RBI and a run scored.

Game two was scoreless until the Bearcats broke the game open with four runs with two outs in the third inning. The Prairie Stars scored a run of their own in the top of the fourth to cut the McKendree lead to 4-1, but Nauman scored from third on a passed ball to increase the lead to 5-1 and hold on for the win.

Barnouski had four strikeouts and improved to 3-3 with the win, while Schmitz had two hits and a run scored.