(Lebanon, Ill., Feb. 18) – The McKendree University softball team picked up a 4-2 victory and a 12-5 win against Grand Valley State University today in the Bearcats home opener as the team moves to 4-1 on the season.

Game 1
McKendree 4 Grand Valley State 2
The Lakers jumped on the scoreboard putting two runs up in the top of the first but would not score after as Kylee Silliman (Fremont, IA/Oskaloosa) was able to go the distance for her first win of the 2018 season. Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) opened up the scoring for the Bearcats with a solo homerun to start the fourth inning. Caitlyn Lowry (St. Louis, MO/Notre Dame) added a three-run homerun later in the inning to give McKendree the 4-2 advantage.
Game 2

McKendree 12 Grand Valley State 5
Paige Hayden (Independence, MO/Fort Osage) started game two with a two-run homerun in the first to put McKendree up 2-0. GVSU answered back with four runs in the second and another in the third to take a 5-2 lead. The Bearcats would answer back in the bottom half of the inning with four runs to retake the lead at 6-5. In the fifth inning, Abbie Bailey (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) singled driving in a run and B. Gajewski singled driving two to take a 9-5 led. Hannah Murphy (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt North) would pinch hit in the sixth sending one out of Bearcat Field for the 10-5 lead. Lowry would hit her second homerun of the day in the sixth to seal the 12-5 win.

The softball team is back in action Friday, Feb. 23 at the USI Tournament in Evansville, Indiana when the team kicks off the weekend with a Noon matchup against Trevecca Nazarene University.