(KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 24)--The McKendree University softball team dropped both ends a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Sunday at Rockhurst University. The Hawks secured a 5-4 victory in a game one marathon that took 14 innings before taking game two in five innings, 13-5.

McKendree finishes out the regular season 25-27 overall and 16-14 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will continue their season Friday after clinching a berth to their first-ever GLVC Tournament. The 2016 Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championsihp will be held on April 29-May 1 at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois. Pairings will be announced Monday morning by the league office. 

In the opener, McKendree was able to grab an early lead in the top of second. Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) lead off the inning with a single to the left side and would eventually be brought home as Tylin Stephens (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs High School) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. 

After surendering two runs in the bottom half of the third, the Bearcat offense responsed with two more tallies in the fifth to regain a 3-2 advantage. Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) would lead off the inning with a double to left field, followed by a sucessful stolen base into third. Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) (pictured) would begin her steller day with a single to the right side scoring Doggendorff and advancing Liz Klussman (Washington, Mo./Washington), who reached on a walk, into scoring position. Klussman would eventually cross home plate on a wild pitch.

In the bottom of sixth the Hawks (21-27, 14-16) would respond posting two runs on two hits to surge back in front at 4-3. McKendree would not concede in the top of the seventh, trailing by one. Doggendorf and Klussman reached on back-to-back errors to begin the frame. Branch would step up and knock a double to left center to score Doggendorf, tying the game up a 4-4.

Both teams would trade off scoreless innings until the bottom of the 14th. A Bearcat error would allow a Hawks' runner to move into scoring position. With two outs Caroline Lipp drove a pitch up the middle to bring in the winning run for Rockhurst.

Despite a complete-game effort, Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) would take the hard-luck loss in the circle, moving her to 14-12 on the season. Magre would allow five runs, four which were earned, 10 hits, and grabbed a new single-game record with 16 stirkeouts.

In game two, McKendree would jump out to an early 1-0 lead before surendering three runs in the bottom of the first. 

The bats for McKendree were not done yet as back-to-back singles by Doggendorf and Klussman would spark a three-run third inning. Branch would post a triple through the left side and a Gajewski single to center gave the Bearcats a 4-3 lead.

Rockhurst would quickly tie things up in the bottom of the third. The Hawks' would continue their hot streak at the plate, posting four runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth, giving the Hawks a 13-5 win that took just five innings.

Taylor Barnouski (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) would be handed her first loss of the season, dropping her to 2-1 on the year. Maci Ingram (Woodlawn, Ill./Nashville Community High School) started in the circle for the Bearcats.