(LEBANON, Ill., March 16) – The McKendree softball team used a combined 22 hits en route to a non-conference sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan College, Thursday (March 16) afternoon at Bearcat Field. A balanced offense behind the arm of Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) led to a 4-2 victory in game one, followed by an 8-0 victory in five innings.
With the pair of wins, McKendree improves to 13-8 overall.
The Bearcats' starting pitchers went the distance in both games as senior Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) and freshman Kylee Silliman (Fremont, IA/Oskaloosa ) both collected complete game wins. Magre tossed her eighth complete game of the season, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out seven. Silliman would pick up the shortened-game shutout victory in five innings giving up just two hits and allowing no walks on top of three strikeouts.
At the plate, freshman Abbie Bailey (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew ) went four-for-six scoring three times. Senior Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) grabbed an RBI in each game going two-for-six.
Game One: McKendree 4, Kentucky Wesleyan 2
McKendree struck early as freshman Hannah Murphy (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt North ) seized her second long ball of the year in the bottom of the second. Caitlyn Lowry (St. Louis, MO/Notre Dame ) helped tack on another run with a RBI single up the middle, scoring Bailey who led off the third with a single. Extending the lead to 3-0, Sara Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville ) recorded a two out single allowing pinch-runner Kyla Haukap (Dawson, Ill./Buffalo Tri-City) to score, before Radae was thrown out at second on the same play.
The Panthers would deny Magre the shutout win as Mallory Nease sent one over the left field wall in the fifth, bring the Bearcat lead to 3-1.
McKendree also scored in the fifth as Hanna Branch (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) notched a two-out single through the right side, scoring Bailey.
Kentucky Wesleyan sparked a late rally in the sixth cutting the deficient down to two. Magre would bend but not break retiring the final five batters she faced.
Game Two: McKendree 8, Kentucky Wesleyan 0 // 5 innings
The offense continued to stay hot for the Bearcats, who recorded double-digits in the hit column for the third straight game.
Striking first again, McKendree used a Panther fielding error, with two outs, to plate two runs in the third. In the fifth, the Bearcats sent nine hitters to the plate en route to scoring five runs. Highlighting the offensive display was a two RBI double by Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) to left field.
After retiring the first nine batters she faced, Silliman worked out of a fifth inning filled of fielder's choice plays. The Panthers would not see a runner reach second base in game two.
McKendree secured the five-inning victory thanks to Paige Fleeman (Salem, Ill./Christ Our Rock Lutheran ) homering to left center in her first at bat of the season.
The Bearcats begin Great Lakes Valley Conference play on the road Saturday (March 18) at Maryville University, before traveling to No. 17 University of Missouri-St. Louis on Sunday (March 19). Both games are scheduled doubleheaders to begin at noon.
