(St. Louis, MO.,  March 18) – The McKendree University softball team split the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) opening weekend double header against Maryville University this afternoon to move to 14-9 overall and 1-1  in the GLVC.

Maryville 4 McKendree 2
In game one, the Saints took advantage of a Nikki Taylor and Bri Livingston two –run homerun to put a four run lead on the scoreboard. The Bearcats would score two in the sixth inning as Sara Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville ) and Jamie Doggendorf (Dittmer, Mo./Northwest) poked singles through the left side to cut the lead to 4-2.

Taylor went the distance for Maryville as she improves to 6-5 on the season. Holly Magre (Festus, Mo./St. Pius X) struck out four batters in 3.1 innings of work as she falls to 8-4 on the 2017 campaign. Maci Ingram (Woodlawn, Ill./Nashville Community ) came in relief for Magre to finish the game. Ingram allowed one hit in 2.2 innings of work.

McKendree 5 Maryville 4
In game two, late inning heroics lifted the Bearcats to a comeback winner as Rachel Hastings (Forsyth, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth ) homered to center field to drive in three runs in the seventh inning.
Maryville jumped on the scoreboard in the first as Samantha Hausi singled to center to put the Saints up 1-0. In the fifth, Maryville added two more to increase the lead to 3-0.

The Bearcats answered back in the sixth inning tallying three as Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) and Hannah Branch drove in runs and Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) capitalized on a fielding error.

Maryville would take back the lead in the sixth adding two, however Hastings' long ball in the seventh would seal the Bearcat comeback.
Ingram closed out the game for McKendree picking up the win moving to 1-0 on the season. Sheridon Sprague takes the loss for Maryville to move to 0-1.

The Bearcats are back in action tomorrow at University of Missouri-St. Louis for a GLVC doubleheader with game one starting at noon.