ROSEMONT, Ill. – The McKendree University softball dropped the second game of its Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader here Monday afternoon with Lewis University 8-0 in six innings at The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex. The Bearcats won the opener, 13-3 in the five innings.
With the setback, the Bearcats fall to 7-11 overall and 1-3 in the GLVC, while Lewis snapped a six game losing streak and moves its record to 10-10 overall and 1-3 in the league.
Unlike like the first game, when the Bearcats offense recorded eight hits, drew nine walks and scored 13 runs in the five inning victory, the Bearcats were held to just three hits and were walked just once and scored no runs in the second game against the Flyers.
The shutout was just the second time this season that the Bearcats have been held without a run in a game.
McKendree would record the first hit of the game in the top of the third inning on a lead-off single by junior third baseman
Kelsey Sachs (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan), but would be stranded at second after Delaney Garden would strike out senior rightfielder
Allison Carnell (Jackson, Mo./St. Charles CC) and forced freshman shortstop
Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) to fly out.
Junior leftfielder
Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) would reach on a one-out double to left center in the fourth for the Bearcats second hit of the game. The double extended Stansbury's hit streak to seven consecutive games.
Lewis would finally breakthrough in the bottom of the fourth inning as they plated six runs on five hits and sent 10 hitters to plate against fifth-year senior pitcher
Makenzie Carter (Anna, Ill./Lindenwood-Belleville) to take a 6-0 lead in the game. The big hit in the inning was a bases-loaded triple off the bat of Payton Wuske. Wuske's triple came on the fifth pitch she saw from freshman reliever
Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie).
Bries would record the third hit of the game for the Bearcats in the top of fifth and after Sachs walked to put two runners on base, Garden would retire the next three Bearcats in order to keep the score at 6-0 in favor of the Flyers.
The Flyers added a seventh run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a hit, a wild pitch and a throwing error by Sachs at third base to plate an unearned run and take a 7-0 lead.
After McKendree went down in order in the top of the sixth, Lewis would end the game one inning early thanks a single, a walk, a wild pitch by Bires and a fielder's choice grounder by Garden, which allowed Wuske to score from third to seal the win. Wuske had led off the inning with a single.
While McKendree had three hits in the nightcap, Lewis finished with seven hits, including two each from Wuske and Kristin Kavalauskas.
Carter (0-2) took the loss in the circle for the Bearcats as she tossed three-plus innings and allowed four hits and six runs, while walking three and striking out one. Bires pitched the final two-plus innings and allowed three hits and two runs (one earned), while walking one and fanning none.
Garden (5-3) picked up the win as she tossed all six innings and allowed three hits and no runs, while walking one and striking out five.
The Bearcats will step out of GLVC play for its next action as they return home to Bearcat Field for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 15 beginning at 12 p.m. against Minnesota-Moorhead.
