ROSEMONT, Ill. – McKendree University softball picked up its first win of the Midwest Regional Dome Invitational hosted by Lewis University here Saturday morning as the Bearcats used a complete game pitching performance from sophomore Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington) and a 2-RBI effort from junior leftfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) to post a 3-0 shutout win over Purdue Northwest at the Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex.
 
The shutout was the second of the season of the season for the Bearcats and the first for Quaethem this year.
 
With the win, the Bearcats snapped a four-game losing skid and improved to 4-5 on the season, while PNW falls to 3-1 on the season.
 
Quaethem (3-2) fired a five-hitter while tossing her third complete game of the season as she struck out a career-high 12 batter and didn't record a walk.
 
The Bearcats finished with five hits in the game as junior third baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) led the way offensively with two hits in two at-bats, while Stansbury, graduate student first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage) and freshman designated player Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie) each had a hit in the win.
 
Both pitchers, Quaethem and PNW's Abbie May didn't allow a run through the first four innings, before Hayden brought home freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) with the first run of the game on an RBI single through the right side. Lawrence drew a walk to lead off the inning, would steal second and moved to third on a fly out by Stansbury.
 
In the sixth, the Bearcats used a hit and an error by PNW third baseman Madison Schultz to plate two runs and take a 3-0 lead. The lone hit in the inning was Stansbury's ground-rule 2-run double to left center. On Stansbury's hit, junior second baseman Kelsey Sachs (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan) and freshman centerfielder Austen Vickery (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) each scored runs as Sachs walked and Vickery reached on an error to open the inning.
 
The Pride put two runners on base in the top of the seventh, but Quaethem would leave those runners stranded when she struck out pinch hitter Montana Martinez to end the game.
 
PNW also had five hits as Kelsi Dillon had three hits in her three at-bats and Schultz had two hits in the loss.
 
May (1-1) took the loss in the circle for PNW as she tossed 5.1 innings and allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), while striking out one and walking none.
 
The Bearcats would conclude play in the event later in the day on Saturday against Saginaw Valley State University.