Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., April 9)- The McKendree University softball team split a softball doubleheader on Wednesday night against Lindenwood University. The Bearcats dropped game one, 7-4, before taking game two 7-4. The game two win also marked head coach Evelyn Bean's 500th as softball coach at McKendree.

The Bearcats improve to 14-20 overall and will host Drury University on Saturday, April 12 for a conference doubleheader at noon.

Both teams struggled defensively in game one to combine for seven errors and McKendree allowed five runs in the fourth inning to fall 7-4. The Lions took a 2-0 run in the top of the first before the Bearcats took advantage of three errors in the bottom of the inning to score four runs and take a 4-2 lead. The Lady Lions scored five runs on four hits and two errors in the fourth inning to take a 7-4 lead, but McKendree only managed one more hit over the final three innings to drop game one. Junior pitcher Kelcie Stoszkus fell to 4-6 overall and had one strikeout in the loss, while junior shortstop Kate Mayes (Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville) had two hits and a run scored.

The Bearcats spread around 14 hits and junior pitcher Susan Goetze (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of game two to earn a 7-4 win. McKendree led 2-0 after three innings, and exploded for five runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Singles by senior leftfielder Caitlin Stredde (Pingree Grove, Ill./South Elgin) and junior first baseman Katie Nauman (Amboy, Ill./Amboy) each brought around two runners to score, while junior centerfielder Erica Johnson (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin)'s single in the inning scored one. Lindenwood scored runs in the final three innings, but McKendree limited the damage and held on for the win. Goetze improved to 4-5 overall and had four strikeouts, while freshman rightfielder Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with two runs scored.