Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 31)- The McKendree University softball team won game two on Tuesday to split a conference doubleheader at University of Illinois Springfield.

The Bearcats are now 11-19 overall and 3-11 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and will travel to Romeoville, Ill., on Friday, April 3 for a conference doubleheader at Lewis University at Noon.

McKendree had eight hits in game one, but was unable to generate runs in a 15-2 loss in five innings. The Bearcats scored their two runs in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by Lindsay Schmitz (Streator, Ill./Streator Township), her first of the season. Ashley Scheffler (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central) had two hits in game one for McKendree, while Kelsie Stoszkus (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) fell to 5-4 with one strikeout in the loss.

The Bearcats struck first in game two with three runs in the first inning. A double by Mayes brought in Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) from second for the first run of the game, and a single by Erica Johnson (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) scored Scheffler and Mayes to take a three-run lead. The hosts cut the score to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning and took a 4-3 lead after adding two more runs in the third inning. Mayes hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to that scored Doggendorf to tie the game, and another single by Johnson scored Scheffler and Mayes to take a 6-4 lead. The Bearcats extended the lead to 7-4 on a fielders choice that brought in Caty Ponce (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) in the sixth inning, and McKendree held off a late rally to hold on for the 7-5 win. Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) improved to 4-5 with the win and Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) earned her second save of the season, while Johnson had two hits and four RBI.