(ROLLA, Mo., April 23)—The McKendree University softball team rolled to a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader sweep Monday afternoon at Missouri S&T. The Bearcats battled to a 5-1 win in the opener before blasting four home runs on its way to a 10-3 triumph in game two.
 
With its two wins on Monday, McKendree improves to 35-14 overall and 18-8 in GLVC play. The 35 victories are the most for a Bearcat team since 2010, when McKendree posted a 35-19 mark. The 18 GLVC wins represents a new school record for McKendree. The Bearcats won 16 games in conference play each of the last two seasons.
 
The Bearcats will close out their 2018 regular-season schedule on Sunday with a doubleheader at the University of Southern Indiana. First pitch is set for noon in Evansville, Ind.
 
McKendree had another big offensive day at the plate, collecting 28 total hits in the doubleheader sweep at Missouri S&T. Senior Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) and freshman infielder Haegen Boyer (Eddyville, IA/Eddyville) each rapped out five hits on the day. Gajewski belted two more home runs on Monday, both of which came in game two. She now has 14 round-trippers on the year, which is second on the Bearcats' single-season chart. Angie Maue hit 16 homers for the Bearcats back in the 2006 campaign. Gajewski added seven RBI in Monday's action against the Miners.
 
Freshman Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) also moved up in the Bearcats' record book thanks to her game one victory. Gajewski allowed just three hits with six strikeouts to earn win No. 19 on the year, which is now second on the single-season chart for McKendree. Amy Quirin notched 28 wins in the circle for the Bearcats back in 2006.
 
In the opener McKendree never trailed, opening up a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Boyer reached on a one-out double and came around to score on an error after a single by freshman Konnor Arrowood (Fulton, MO/South Callaway). After Arrowood moved to third base on a passed ball, she scored on another Missouri S&T error to build the Bearcats' two-run advantage.
 
Missouri S&T (23-23, 12-12 GLVC) scored a run in the bottom of the second to pull within 2-1 before McKendree struck for three runs in the fourth. Sophomore outfielder Abbie Bailey (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) opened the scoring with an RBI double to bring home Arrowood, who led off the frame with a single. Senior catcher Rebecca Franke (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) and Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) later added back-to-back run-scoring singles to give the Bearcats a five-run cushion.
 
From there, Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest) took control, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters she faced to earn the win. The complete game was the 13^th of the year for Gajewski, and her six strikeouts moved her season total to 102.
 
McKendree wasted little time in taking a game two lead by scoring five runs in its first at-bat. The Bearcats hit three home runs in the inning, beginning with a two-run shot off the bat of Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest). After a single by Miranda Gajewski (Kronenwetter, WI/D.C. Everest), sophomore infielder Caitlyn Lowry (St. Louis, MO/Notre Dame) came to the plate and ripped a two-run shot to left-center field, pushing the Bearcats' lead to 4-0. Arrowood completed the hat trick for McKendree with a solo homer to right field to extend the cushion to five runs.
 
After McKendree loaded the bases in the top of the second inning, Brooke Gajewski (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) belted her second home run in as many at-bats, a grand slam to left-center field, to stretch the Bearcats' lead to 9-0. It was Gajewski's first grand slam of the 2018 season.
 
The Miners chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the third inning and another tally in the fourth to pull within 9-3. Boyer closed out the scoring on the day for McKendree with an RBI single in the top of the seventh to account for the final margin.