ROLLA, Mo. – McKendree University softball split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader here Saturday afternoon against Missouri S&T at S&T Softball Field.
 
The Bearcats opened the doubleheader with a 5-1 win in the opener thanks to 2-run homer by junior rightfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) and another complete game pitching outing from sophomore Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington), before falling 3-1 in the nightcap against the Miners.
 
With the doubleheader split, the Bearcats improve to 16-18 overall and 8-10 in the GLVC, while Missouri S&T falls to 20-18 overall and 8-8 in the league.
 
The Bearcats will conclude the weekend road trip on Sunday, April 10 with a doubleheader in Springfield, Mo., against Drury University beginning at 12 p.m.
 
GAME 1 – McKENDREE 5, MISSOURI S&T 1
In Saturday's opening game of the doubleheader, the Bearcats offense outhit the Miners, 6-3, but they left seven runners on base in the win. S&T left three runners on base.
 
Stansbury and junior second baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) each had two hits in the doubleheader, while freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) scored three of the Bearcats' five runs and stole one of its three bases.
 
Along with recording six hits, Quaethem would toss her 12th complete game of the season as she scattered three hits and allowed one run, while striking out eight and walking one in moving her record to 11-6 on the season. Quaethem has now recorded 110 strikeouts and walked just 20 in 100.1 innings on the season.
 
McKendree jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning as Lawrence walked to open the frame, moved to second when Stansbury was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base with no outs. Lawrence would score when Davis reached base on an error and then Stansbury would score the second run of the game on a sacrifice fly by graduate student first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage).
 
The Bearcats lead grew to 4-0 in the top of the third inning on a 2-run homer over the fence in right center by Stansbury. The homer was the 16th of the season for Stansbury.
 
McKendree's lead ballooned to 5-0 in the fourth inning thanks to a triple by Lawrence and an RBI single by Stansbury. The triple by Lawrence was her team-high tying third of the season.
 
Those five runs would be more than enough offensive support for Quaethem as she retired the Miners in order in four of the seven innings.
 
S&T would prevent a shutout by Quaethem in the bottom of the sixth as Hannah Antzoulatos led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a bunt by Ciarrah Bell and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Shannon Flowers.
Three different Miners recorded a hit in the game against Quaethem.
 
Bryn Wooldridge (10-7) took the loss in the circle for the Miners as she tossed 3.2 innings and allowed six hits and five runs (three earned runs), while walking two and striking out two.
 
GAME 2 – MISSOURI S&T 3, McKENDREE 1
In the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader, the Bearcats once again outhit the Miners, 6-5, but left six runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the second inning.
 
Stansbury paced the way offensively for McKendree as she had two hits and has now reached base in 23 consecutive games and extended her hit streak to five straight games. All six of McKendree's hits were singles in the game.
 
The Bearcats scored their lone run of the game in the top of the first inning Stansbury, Davis and Hayden recorded three straight singles with the latter single scoring Stansbury with the first run of the game.
 
S&T used three hits and scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Antzoulatos led off with a homer to tie the game and later in the inning, Emma Vaughn drew a bases loaded walk from fifth year senior pitcher Makenzie Carter (Anna, Ill./Lindenwood-Belleville).
 
The Miners lead grew to 3-1 in the bottom of the second as they scored a run without the benefit of a hit. In the inning, Bell walked to open the inning, moved to second and then third on a wild pitch and after Antzoulatos walked to put two runners on base, Flowers brought home a run on a ground out.
 
From that point, neither team would score the remainder of the game as the teams combined for just three hits over the final five innings of the contest. Two of the hits came from S&T, while the other hit came from Stansbury in top of the fifth.
 
Carter (1-5) took the loss in the circle for the Bearcats as she tossed one-plus innings and allowed three hits and three runs, while walking four and striking out none. Freshman Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie) pitched the final five-plus innings and allowed two hits and struck out one, while walking none.
 
Charlye Rowland (9-8) earned the win for the Miners as she tossed a complete game and allowed six hits and one run, while walking two and striking out four.
 
Much like the first game, five Miners recorded a hit in the nightcap.