Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 22)- The McKendree University softball team rallied to earn a 3-2 win at University of Illinois Springfield in game one on Tueday, but fell in game two, 1-0, to split the conference doubleheader.

The Bearcats are now 17-27 overall and 10-20 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and travel to Romeoville, Ill., on Saturday, April 26 for a GLVC doubleheader at noon.

The Prairie Stars jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but McKendree scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead and held on for the win in game one.

The Bearcats got on the board in the fifth on a single to left centerfield by freshman second baseman Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) that scored freshman pinch runner Lohgan Bryant (Danville, Ill./Schlarman) from third. A single by junior first baseman Katie Nauman (Amboy, Ill./Amboy) later in the inning scored Doggendorf and junior shortstop Kate Mayes (Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville) to put McKendree in the lead 3-2.

Junior relief pitcher Kelsie Stoszkus (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) only allowed two hits over the final two innings to lead the Bearcats to the win. Stoszkus improved to 7-8 overall with the win and had three strikeouts, while Nauman had three hits and two RBI in the win.

Game two was scoreless for five and a half innings, until Illinois Springfield scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth and held on to take game two 1-0.

McKendree was unable to find its rhythm offensively in game two and only picked up four hits in the loss. Four players each had one hit, and junior relief pitcher Susan Goetze (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central) fell to 4-7 overall with the loss, but had six strikeouts.