(EVANSVILLE, Ind., March 26)- The McKendree University softball team lost both games of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader on Saturday at University of Southern Indiana.

The Bearcats fall to 11-19 overall and 5-7 in the GLVC, and will host University of Illinois Springfield on Tuesday, March 29 for a conference doubleheader at 3 p.m.

A bad first inning for McKendree in game one proved to be the difference in a 12-5 loss. A double by Gajewski in the first inning scored Tylin Stephens (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs High School) from second and a single by Marla Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) later in the inning brought in Gajewski to out the Bearcats in front 2-0. The Eagles responded with nine runs in the bottom of the first to take a 9-2 lead.

McKendree chipped away at the deficit with a solo home run by Gajewski in the third, and a run by Stephens on a sac fly by Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) in the fourth to cut the score to 9-4. USI added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, to extend its lead to 11-4, but a double by Liz Klussman (Washington, Mo./Washington) scored Danielle Sweeney (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh High School) in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 11-5. The Eagles added another run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Bearcats were unable to rally in the seventh.

Gajewski fell to 1-6 with the loss, but led the team offensively with two hits, including a double and home run with two RBI and two runs scored. Stephens also had two doubles and two runs scored in game one.

McKendree had similar woes in game two, giving up four runs in the first inning, to drop game two 5-1. USI added an additional run in the fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead, but a solo home run by Branch in the sixth cut the score to 5-1. The Bearcats were unable to rally in their final at bat to lose game two.

Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) fell to 7-6 overall and had three strikeouts in the loss, while Branch had two hits, including the home run, an RBI and a run scored.