(LEBANON, Ill., Apr. 13)- The McKendree University softball team brought its record up to .500 after two wins against Lincoln University (Mo.) on Wednesday.
 
The Bearcats improve to 21-21 overall and will host Drury University Saturday, April 16 for a doublehder at 12 p.m.
 
In game one, McKendree took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI double by Samantha Cameron (Dix, Ill./Centralia, Ill.) in the second inning, and followed with an RBI single by Rachel Hastings (Forsyth, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth High School) and a three-run home run by Marla Schulte (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township), her third of the season, to take a 5-0 lead. Another RBI single by Hastings in the fifth inning extended the lead to 6-0, but the Blue Tigers cut the deficit to 6-3 in the sixth inning. McKendree added two runs in the sixth inning and held on to win 8-3.
 
Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) improved to 12-8 and had 11 strikeouts in game one.
 
The Bearcats got off to a quick start in game two and scored six runs in the second inning. Cameron's double scored Hastings, and she later scored on Dani Schoenbacher (Tamaroa, Ill./Pinckeyville)'s double. Sara Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville High School) hit the third double for McKendree to score Schoenbacher and she later scored on a Schulte ground out. Stephens and Branch both scored later in the inning on RBI singles. Lincoln got on the board in the third inning to cut the score to 6-1, but Cameron grabbed her 16th career RBI when Liz Klussman (Washington, Mo./Washington) scored on a groundout in the fifth. Sydne Bryant (Danville, Ill./Schlarman Academy) scored Stephens in the bottom of the sixth to give the Bearcats an 8-1 lead, and Klussmann sealed the ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with a single that scored Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin).
 
Maci Ingram (Woodlawn, Ill./Nashville Community High School) improved to 6-7 and had five strikeouts in the victory.