Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (GULF SHORES, Ala., Feb. 5)- The McKendree University softball team lost both of its games on Friday on day one of the Gulf Coast Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala.

The Bearcats fall to 0-2 and will return to the diamond on Saturday, Feb. 6 to play No. 18 University of Alabama-Huntsville at 2:30 p.m., followed by a 4:45 p.m., game against Midwestern State University.

Game One
McKendree - 4
Lindenwood - 5

McKendree battled back from an early 3-0 deficit, and took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning, but dropped its season opener to Lindenwood University 5-4.

Lindenwood scored two runs in the first inning and added one more in the second to lead 3-0 after two innings, but the Bearcats evened things up in the fifth. Junior first baseman Rachel Hastings (Forsyth, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth High School) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score freshman second baseman Sara Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville High School), and a single by junior right fielder Dani Schoenbacher (Tamaroa, Ill./Pinckeyville) brought in sophomore shortstop Tylin Stephens (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs High School) and junior leftfielder Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) to tie the game up 3-3. In the sixth inning, Doggendorf put down a sac bunt, and the pitcher made a throwing error that brought in freshman centerfielder Megan Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville High School) from second to take a 4-3 lead. The Bearcats remained in the lead, but Lindenwood hit a two-out walk-off home run to end the game 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh.

Stephens and Doggendorf each had two hits and a run scored in game one, while Schoenbacher had two RBI. Freshman pitcher Maci Ingram (Woodlawn, Ill./Nashville Community High School) had four strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched, and sophomore Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) fell to 0-1 while pitching in relief.

Game Two
McKendree- 1
Union- 11 (5 inn.)

McKendree tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the first inning, but was unable to bring in any more runs in an 11-1 loss in five innings to Union University (Tenn.).

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Doggendorf singled and later stole second base. Junior first baseman Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) reached on an error by the shortstop and Doggendorf would come around to tie the game 1-1. McKendree only had one more hit in the game, a single by Gajewski in the third inning, and were unable to score to drop game two.

Junior pitcher Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss, but had seven strikeouts in the loss.