Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (ST. LOUIS, Mo., March 17)- The McKendree University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Missouri Baptist University on Tuesday.

The Bearcats are now 7-11 overall and will host their conference home opener against Truman State University on Saturday, March 21 at Noon.

McKendree trailed late in game one, but had a rally in the sixth and seventh innings come up short in a 5-2 loss.

The Spartans led 4-0 after five innings, but McKendree cut into its deficit with a run in the top of the sixth. Katie Nauman (Amboy, Ill./Amboy) hit a two-out single and Hannah Branch followed with a double that brought in Nauman to make the score 4-1.

Missouri Baptist added an additional run in the bottom of the inning, but a two-out single by Kate Mayes (Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville) scored Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) from third to cut the score to 5-2. McKendree had a runner on third, but a ground out ended the rally.

Mayes had two hits in game one with an RBI, while pitcher Susan Goetze (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central) fell to 2-5 and had two strikeouts in the loss.

After a scoreless first two innings, McKendree scored seven runs in the third and fourth innings and held off a late rally by Missouri Baptist o hold on for a 7-6 win.

Ponce scored the first run of the game in the top of the third on a groundout by Doggendorf, and Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) scored on a bunt single by Mayes to take a 2-0 lead.

A single by Franke in the fourth inning score Morgan Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) for the third run of the game, and a bunt single by Doggendorf brought in Ponce to take a 4-0 lead. Ashley Scheffler (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central) reached on an error that scored Franke, and Lindsay Schmitz (Streator, Ill./Streator Township) followed with a double that scored Scheffler and Doggendorf to extend the lead to 7-0.

The Spartans cut the deficit to 7-6 over the final four innings, but Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) struck out the final Missouri Baptist batter with the tying run on second to end the game and get the save.

Mayes again led the team with two hits with an RBI, while Gajewski improved to 2-3 with one strikeout.