LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University softball opened both its home schedule and Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule for the 2022 season here Thursday afternoon as the Bearcats dropped both ends of a doubleheader against No. 4 ranked University of Indianapolis at Bearcat Field.
 
The Greyhounds (15-1) opened the day with a 21-4 run-ruled win in the opener, before UIndy completed the sweep with a 6-2 win over the Bearcats (6-10) in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, UIndy jumped in front 5-0 in the top of the first inning as they used three hits, three wild pitches, a passed ball and two McKendree errors to plate five runs and lead 5-0.
 
The Bearcats would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the first on a 2-out solo home run over the fence in left center by junior left fielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne).
 
UIndy pushed its lead to 7-1 as they plated two unearned runs off sophomore pitcher Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington) in the top of the second.
 
The Bearcats would come back in the bottom of the second as they plated two runs thanks to freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) get hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and after junior catcher Morgan Andrews (Creal Springs, Ill./Marion) struck out for the second out, Stansbury would bring home her second run of the game on a bases loaded walk issued by Kenzee Smith to pull McKendree within 7-3.
 
After neither team scored in the third inning, the 'Hounds added three runs on a 3-run homer from Tara Williams to give UIndy a 10-3 lead.
 
The 'Hounds would put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth as they sent 15 hitters to the plate and scored 11 runs to push its lead to 21-3. The big hit in the inning being a 2-run homer by Emily O'Connor. Seven of the 11 runs in the inning were unearned thanks to two errors by the Bearcats, who recorded five in the game.
 
Stansbury added her second home run of the game and sixth of the season thanks to her lead-off blast over the fence in center. The Bearcats would eventually load the bases in the inning on two errors by UIndy and hit by pitch with no outs, but UIndy reliever Audrey Sizemore would keep the Bearcats off the scoreboard as she got the first two outs at the plate on fielder's choice grounders and the third out came when sophomore pinch runner Jessica Poirot (Smithton, Ill./Freeburg) was thrown out trying to steal home on a ball that bounced away from the catcher.
 
UIndy outhit the Bearcats, 17-3 in the opener as Williams, Gianni Iannantone and Haylie Foster each had three hits in the win, while O'Connor had two hits and scored five runs, while Megan Nichols scored four runs for the 'Hounds.
 
Stansbury paced the Bearcats with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate, while the other hit was one-out single in the second inning by junior third baseman Kelsey Sachs (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan).
 
Quaethem (4-4) took the loss in the circle for the Bearcats as she tossed 4.1 innings and allowed 10 hits and 10 runs (five earned), while walking four and striking out seven. She entered the game having recorded 41 strikeouts and just five walks in 40 innings on the season. Quaethem has now recorded 48 strikeouts and nine walks in 44.2 innings on the season.
 
While McKendree committed five errors that led to 12 unearned for the 'Hounds, UIndy had two errors and recorded six stolen bases in the win.
 
The 21 runs scored by UIndy were the most in a game for the 'Hounds since tallying 23 runs against Illinois-Springfield in 2012, while the 21 runs allowed are the most by the Bearcats in the Division II era and the most since allowing 19 to Lubbock Christian on March 14, 2012.
 
Meanwhile, in the nightcap of the doubleheader, UIndy jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to two hits and a Bearcat error.
 
The Bearcats, though, would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Lawrence brought home the first run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and then Andrews followed with a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
UIndy would come back in the top of the third and retake the lead thanks to a 2-run homer by O'Connor over the fence in right center off freshman pitcher Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie).
 
The 'Hounds extended its lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth on a lead-off homer by Sydnee Perry and pushed its lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Haylie Foster.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bearcats loaded the bases on a single, a walk and a hit batsman with no outs, but Foster would get out of the jam unscathed as the struck out the next three Bearcats looking to end the inning.
 
UIndy would cap the scoring in the top of the sixth as they took advantage to two walks and scored its sixth run of the game on a fielder's choice.
 
The Bearcats would make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh against Haylie Foster as graduate student first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage) walked with one out, before junior catcher Sydney Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) reached on a fielder's choice and then Bires reached on a single to put two runners on base and put the tying run on deck. Foster, though, would end the game by forcing Sachs to pop up to second base.
 
UIndy outhit the Bearcats, 9-5, in the nightcap as Iannatone led the way with two hits, while O'Connor scored two runs and had 2 RBI. Bires and freshman centerfielder Austen Vickery (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) each had two hits in the loss.
 
Bires (1-2) took the loss in the circle as she tossed 4.2 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs (three earned), while striking out one and walking none.
 
Foster (8-0) picked up the win in the circle for UIndy as she allowed five hits and two unearned runs, while walking five and striking out nine.
 
Both teams committed an error in the game, while the teams combined to leave 18 runners on base as McKendree stranded 11 base runners and UIndy left seven on base.
 
The Bearcats, who were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Friday, March 11 at Lewis, but the game was postponed due to travel issues for Lewis returning home from Florida. The teams will now play a doubleheader on Monday, March 14 beginning at 12 p.m. in The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill.