LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University softball swept both ends of a non-conference doubleheader against MSU Moorhead here Tuesday afternoon at Bearcat Field as they won the opener 10-0 in six innings and then posted an 8-7 walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh of the nightcap.

With the two wins, the Bearcats improve to 9-11 overall on the season, while the MSU Moorhead falls to 2-8 on the year.

GAME 1 – McKENDREE 10, MSU MOORHEAD 0 (6 INNINGS)
In the opener, the Bearcats offense exploded for 15 hits, including junior leftfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) and junior second baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) going a combined 8-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored and 2 RBI. In addition to Stansbury and Davis, freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion), freshman designated player Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie) and junior third baseman Kelsey Sachs (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan) each recording two hits and combining for 6 RBI.

The Bearcats got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning as they sent eight hitters to the plate and scored three runs on two hits to hold an early 3-0 lead. In the inning, Lawrence led with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a passed ball for the first run. The second run also scored on a passed ball as Stansbury scored on the passed ball. Stansbury got on thanks to a single up the middle that extended her hit streak to eight straight games and the third run scored on an RBI groundout by Bires.

Those three runs would be all the support sophomore pitcher Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington) would need as she held the Dragons hitless for 3.2 innings and struck out nine and walked two in her six inning outing to improve to 6-4 on the season. Quaethem would allow just a two-out double in the fourth inning to Avery Steffen in the opener.

McKendree added two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-0 lead as Lawrence reached on a one-out double and would on an RBI single to right by Stansbury and Stansbury would score later in the inning on an RBI single through the left side by Davis.

Lawrence would give the Bearcats a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth on her RBI single to right. Lawrence's hit plated freshman centerfielder Austen Vickery (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township), who reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a passed ball before scoring on Lawrence's single.

The Bearcats would end the game in the bottom of the sixth thanks to an RBI single by Bires and 3-run home run over the fence in left off the bat of Sachs. Sachs' first home run of the season allowed the Bearcats to end the game early thanks to the 8-run mercy run.

Anna Lang (2-3) one of three pitchers used by the Dragons took the loss as she tossed two innings and allowed six hits and five runs, while walking three and striking out two.

The Bearcats stranded eight runners on base and stole two bases in the win and were hit by two pitches. So far this season, the Bearcats have been hit by a pitch 17 times with Lawrence leading the way with seven hit-by-pitches this season.
 
GAME 2: McKENDREE 8, MSU MOORHEAD 7
The Bearcats scored six runs in the fifth inning of the nightcap to turn a 5-1 deficit into a 7-5 lead. In the fifth, the Bearcats used four hits and two Dragon errors to score six times with five of the six runs being unearned.

Holding a 7-5 lead heading into the top of the seventh, the Bearcats just needed three outs to complete the doubleheader sweep, but the Dragons had other ideas as they used a one-out bases loaded single up the middle off the bat of Kiley Washnieski to tie the game at 7-all. Sophomore Katie Nuetzel (Hereford, Ariz./Buena), who allowed Washnieski's 2-run single, would battle back to retire the next two Dragon hitters in order to send the game to the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, graduate student first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage) led off with a double to fence in center and after Davis walked to put two runners on base with no outs, those runners would advance a base on a bunt by Bires for the first out. The next batter for the Bearcars, junior catcher Morgan Andrews (Creal Springs, Ill./Marion) stepped to the plate and delivered a walk-off single on the first pitch of the at-bat from Steffen to drive home freshman pinch runner Brianna Sarver (Pana, Ill./Pana) from third base with the game winning run.

Andrews' single made a winner out Nuetzel (2-3) in the circle as she pitched the final four-plus innings for the Bearcats and allowed two runs on three hits, while walking three and striking out none. Nuetzel relieved Bires in the fourth inning.

The Bearcats opened the scoring in the nightcap in the bottom of the first inning as Lawrence walked to lead off the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on an infield single by Vickery before scoring on a perfectly executed double-steal by the Bearcats as Lawrence stole home and Vickery swiped second base.

MSUM would come right back in the top of the second and plate two runs on a 2-run single down the right field line by Washnieski off of Bires to take a 2-1 lead in the game.

The Dragons added a third run in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by Hannah Losee to take a 3-1 lead.

The lead grew to 5-1 in the top of the fourth inning as the Dragons used three hits and an error by the Bearcats to plate two runs as one of the runs came home on an RBI single by Washnieski, who finished the game with three hits in three at-bats and had 5 RBI and the other run scored on a fielding error by Sachs at third base.

McKendree would answer in the bottom of the fifth as they batted around in the inning and scored six times to take a 7-5 lead. The big hit in the inning was a 2-run single by Andrews, while Sachs added an RBI double and Davis brought home a run on a groundout. The other two runs scored on a bases loaded walk issued to Stansbury and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hayden.

The Bearcats were outhit, 10-8 in the nightcap as Andrews and Vickery each had two hits in the win, while Andrews had 3 RBI and Lawrence scored two runs and stole two bases.

Along with the three hits by Washnieski, Losee and Annika Norman each had two hits for MSU Moorhead.

Both teams committed two errors in the game and MSUM stranded 10 runners on base, while McKendree left five on base in the game.

Steffen (0-3) earned the loss for the Dragons as she pitched 5-plus innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while walking four and striking out two. Evey Evans pitched 1.1 innings and allowed four hits and six runs (one earned run), while walking two and fanning none.

Stansbury had her eight game hitting streak snapped in the nightcap as she was 0-for-2 at the plate with one run scored and RBI and was walked twice. She is now hitting .429 on the season as she leads the team in hits (27), tied for the lead in runs scored (19) and also leads in doubles (5), triples (2), home runs (6) and RBI (19).

The Bearcats will return to Great Lakes Valley Conference play this coming weekend (March 19-20) as they host Quincy for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 19 at 12 p.m. and then hosts Illinois-Springfield for a doubleheader on Sunday, March 20 at 12 p.m.