GAME DAY LINKS --
McKENDREE vs. SOUTHWEST BAPTIST -- Thursday, March 15, 2018, 1 p.m. (DH)
Bearcat Field -- Lebanon, Ill.
McKENDREE vs. #16 INDIANAPOLIS -- Saturday, March 17, 2018, Noon (DH)
Bearcat Field -- Lebanon, Ill.
McKENDREE vs. BELLARMINE -- Sunday, March 18, 2018, Noon (DH)
Bearcat Field -- Lebanon, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (Bearcat Sports Network)
LIVE STATS
McKENDREE SEASON STATISTICS
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST SEASON STATISTICS
INDIANAPOLIS SEASON STATISTICS
BELLARMINE SEASON STATISTICS
(LEBANON, Ill., March 14)--The McKendree University softball team are slated to host three doubleheaders in a four-day span at Bearcat Field. The Bearcats will open the busy stretch with a non-conference twinbill Thursday against Southwest Baptist University before stepping back into Great Lakes Valley Conference play Saturday against the University of Indianapolis and Sunday versus Bellarmine University.
McKendree is 14-5 overall heading into the extended weekend. The Bearcats kicked off GLVC action last Saturday with a split at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. McKendree rolled to victory in the opener before overcoming a 5-0 deficit to knot the nightcap in the top of the seventh, only to see the host Tritons win in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the frame. The setback snapped a four-game win streak for the Bearcats.
Through 19 games, McKendree is hitting .296 as a team.
Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) possessions one of the top batting averages in the GLVC, bringing a .464 mark into Thursday's doubleheader against Southwest Baptist.
Caitlyn Lowry (St. Louis, MO/Notre Dame) is next at .379, while
Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) is third at .354.
Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) leads the Bearcats with four home runs and is tied with Lowry for the team lead with 15 runs batted in.
In the circle,
Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) leads the staff with an 8-1 record, with her lone loss coming on Saturday at UMSL. In 56 innings of work, Gajewski has fanned a team-best 38 batters.
Maci Ingram (Woodlawn, Ill./Nashville Community) has struck out 21 batters in just 11 1/3 innings this season while holding a 1-1 record and a 0.62 ERA.
McKendree will head north next weekend for GLVC doubleheaders at Lewis University (March 24) and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (March 25).
ABOUT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST
The Bearcats are 9-12 overall following a doubleheader sweep Wednesday at home against Rockhurst University. Southwest Baptist is on a bit of a roll with wins in five of its last six contests. Jaidyn Mawhinney paces the Bearcats with a .327 batting average. Payton Wildeman has belted three home runs and adds 13 RBI to the Southwest Baptist lineup. Claire Miller has posted a 6-6 record in the circle and also leads the squad with 87 strikeouts and a 2.38 earned-run average. Hunter Middleton is next on the staff with a 2-3 ledger and a 3.91 ERA.
ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS
The Greyhounds bring a No. 16 national ranking into Saturday's doubleheader against McKendree. UIndy is currently 18-4 overall and is riding an 11-game win streak. The Greyhounds swept Drury University in their GLVC opener back on March 9.
Seven regulars in the Greyhounds' lineup are hitting above .300 on the year. The group is led by Brooke Montgomery at .387, while Gianni Innantone is right behind at .386. Taylor Podschweit has contributed a team-leading 24 RBI to go along with her .355 average. Three different UIndy pitchers have at least four victories on the season. Haylie Foster is currently 5-0 with a 2.24 ERA, while Lauren Honkomp has posted a 5-2 mark with a 2.41 ERA along with a team-leading 61 strikeouts. Halie Waters rounds out the trio with a 4-2 record.
ABOUT BELLARMINE
The Knights are 10-10 on the year and 1-1 in the GLVC heading into a Saturday doubleheader at the University of Southern Indiana. Bellarmine split its conference opener last Saturday at home against Missouri S&T. Rachel Ayer is the top hitter in the Knights' lineup at .412. Ayer has driven in 14 runs, which is third on the squad. Lillie Nitzken checks in with a .349 average and is tied atop the Knights' list for RBI with 15. Madelie Kurtz (3-5, 3.93 ERA) and Sabrina Fussenegger (4-4, 4.39 ERA) share the bulk of the pitching duties for Bellarmine.
