(DAHLONEGA, Ga., Feb. 10) – The McKendree University softball squad opened the 2017 season with a pair of losses to Palm Beach Atlantic and University of North Georgia in day one of the Steak 'n Shake Classic.
The Bearcats fall to 0-2 and will resume action Saturday, Feb. 11 to play Mars Hill College at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a 6:00 p.m. ET contest against University of West Georgia.
Game 1 - PBA 2 McK 1 (8 innings)
McKendree would drop their season opener to Palm Beach Atlantic, 2-1 in extra innings despite Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) going the distance on the mound.
The Sailfish (2-3) would score first in part to a second inning, two out rally. A two out single by Maddie Bertisch, followed by a pair of stolen bases allowed for Bertisch to score on a Brianna Skipper ground ball that resulted in a Bearcat throwing error.
McKendree (0-1) would get the bats to come alive in the bottom of the third as Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) would lead off the inning with a double to the gap in right center field. After a Tylin Stephens (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs ) sacrifice bunt, Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) would single to left driving in Franke to tie the contest up at 1-1.
McKendree's Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) would hold down the fort the next four innings, in a tight rubber match with Sailfish starter Ashton Adkins.
Seven innings were not enough to decide a winner in the pitchers duel, as the bats came alive for Palm Beach Atlantic in the top of the eighth. The Sailfish would find their first two batters on base after a pair of bunt singles, which followed up with a Bearcat fielding error allowing the Sailfish to grab a 2-1 lead.
McKendree's comeback efforts would fall short in the bottom half of the eighth. Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) would led off the inning reaching on an error, but was retired on a Brooke Gajewski double play. Rachel Hastings (Forsyth, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth ) would look to spark a two out rally by drawing a walk, but the Bearcats fell short after a Sara Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville ) flyout.
Inside the circle, Magre (0-1) would go the distance pitching a complete game while surrendering two runs, both unearned, and recording eight strikeouts.
Game 2 - No. 8 UNG 10 McK 0 (5 innings)
The Bearcat bats were quieted in game two of the day. Faced with the task of upsetting No. 8 University of North Georgia, McKendree found themselves down early after the Nighthawks recorded eight runs on six hits and two McKendree errors in the bottom of the first.
McKendree would try to spark the offense in the second, as Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) led off the top half of the inning with a double down the left field line. Nighthawk starter Bria Bush would make sure that the Bearcat offense would stop there as she only allowed one more hit after Branch's double.
North Georgia would tac on a pair of runs in the follow innings, giving the Nighthawks a 10-0 victory in five innings.
On the rubber, freshman Kylee Silliman (Fremont, IA/Oskaloosa ) (0-1) picked up the lost surrendering eight runs, two which were earned, and six hits. In relief, Gajewski threw one and a third innings of work while freshman Hannah Murphy (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt North ) recorded a pair of strikeouts in two innings.
