Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (GULF SHORES, Ala., Feb. 6)- The McKendree University softball team had an upset bid against No. 18 University of Alabama-Huntsville come up short, before posting a late rally in a 11-9 loss against Midwestern State University.

The Bearcats fall to 0-4 and will face University of West Alabama on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. in their final game at the Gulf Coast Invitational.

Game One
McKendree- 6
No. 18 Alabama-Huntsville- 12

McKendree went toe-to-toe with No. 18 Alabama-Huntsville, and led 5-3 after three innings, but was unable to hold on for the upset in a 12-6 loss.

Trailing 2-0 after the first inning, the Bearcats cut the score to 2-1 on a leadoff homer by junior Rachel Hastings (Forsyth, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth High School) in the top of the second. McKendree exploded for four runs in the third inning to take a 5-2 lead. A double by Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) brought in Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) and Tylin Stephens (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs High School) for the first two runs of the inning, and Sydne Bryant (Danville, Ill./Schlarman Academy) entered as a pinch runner for Gajewski, and later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2. A single by Samantha Cameron (Dix, Ill./Centralia, Ill.) brought in Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) from second for the final run of the inning to make the score 5-2. Alabama Huntsville added three runs over the next two innings to tie the game, 5-5, but McKendree regained the lead in the fifth inning when Hastings scored on a throwing error by the shortstop. The Chargers scored seven runs in their final two at bats to build a 12-6 lead and win the game.

Freshman Maci Ingram (Woodlawn, Ill./Nashville Community High School) fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss and had one strikeout. Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) had two hits and a run scored to lead McKendree at the plate in game one. Hastings' home run was the first for the Bearcats this season, and her first at McKendree.

Game Two
McKendree- 9
Midwestern State- 12

The Bearcats had 11 hits, including two home runs, against Midwestern State on Saturday, but it wasn't enough in a 12-9 loss.

The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning when McKendree took a 6-3 lead after scoring three runs. A bases loaded single by Marla Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) scored Branch from third, and Bryant followed with a single that scored Schulte and Erica Schuelke (Germantown, Wis./West Bend) to put the Bearcats in front.

The Mustangs tied the game in the top of the fourth, and took a 11-6 lead in the top of the fifth, but McKendree would start to rally in the sixth inning. With two outs, Hastings and Branch hit back-to-back homers to cut the score to 11-8, and Gajewski scored when Schulte reached on an error by the third baseman to cut the deficit to 11-9. Midwestern State added one run in the top of the seventh, and the Bearcats were unable to reach base in the seventh to fall 12-9.

Gajewski fell to 0-2 and had three strikeouts in the loss, while Schulte led the Bearcats at the plate with three hits. Schuelke, Gajewski and Branch all had two hits.