(LEBANON, Ill., March 8)—The McKendree University softball team had a flair for the dramatic Thursday in posting a doubleheader sweep at home against Saginaw Valley State University.
The Bearcats scored the go-ahead or winning run each the final at-bat in each contest on a chilly day at Bearcat Field, winning 8-3 in the opener before edging the Cardinals 3-2 in eight innings in the nightcap. McKendree moves to 13-4 overall with the sweep and will kick off Great Lakes Valley Conference play Sunday afternoon at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. First pitch is set for noon.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in game one, McKendree erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the frame to rally past Saginaw Valley State. The Bearcats then used a walk-off single from junior infielder
Sara Radae (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) in the bottom of the eighth inning of the nightcap to finish off the sweep. McKendree took three of four games from Saginaw Valley State in consecutive days at home.
Sophomore
Hannah Murphy (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt North) was one of the stars on the day for McKendree, belting a home run in each game while tossing a six-hitter to pick up the game one victory. Murphy allowed two earned runs and scattered six hits with five strikeouts to earn her first win in the circle in 2018. Freshman
Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) had two hits in each contest and went the distance in game two, allowing two earned runs with five strikeouts over eight innings. Gajewski remains undefeated this season, improving to 8-0 on the year.
Saginaw Valley (5-7) built a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, second and fourth innings of game one before McKendree began its comeback. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Murphy ripped the first pitch of her at-bat over the right-center field fence for a solo shot to get the Bearcats on the board, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
McKendree then sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Senior catcher
Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) opened with a single before
Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) singled with one out. Two batters later, Radae walked to load the bases with two outs.
Freshman outfielder
Shelby Summer (Washington, IL/Washington) then dropped a two-run double just inside the right-field line to score Franke and Gajewski to tie the contest at 3-3. Murphy then delivered a two-run single to give the Bearcats a 5-3 advantage. Senior
Abbi Liske (Ashley, Ill./Nashville) capped the seven-run outburst when she blasted a three-run, pinch-hit home run over the center field fence to stretch the Bearcats' lead to five runs.
In game two, McKendree struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Murphy drilled her second home run of the doubleheader over the left-center field fence to put the Bearcats in front at 1-0. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the top of the third inning to grab a 2-1 advantage. McKendree then took advantage of a Saginaw Valley State error in the bottom of the fourth inning to knot the score at 2-2.
The score stood until the bottom of the eighth inning, when McKendree pushed across the winning run. Senior
Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) blooped a single between the second baseman and right field to lead off the frame. Two pitches later,
Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) drilled a double to right-center field to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, Radae stepped in and belted her game-winning single to the base of the fence in left field to complete the non-conference sweep. Radae finished the game with three hits.
Thursday's walk-off winner in game two marked the Bearcats' first extra-inning triumph in 2018. McKendree dropped a 5-4 decision to Kentucky Wesleyan College in the season opener back on Feb. 9 before falling in nine innings to Northwest Missouri State University on March 3, 1-0.
