EVANSVILLE, Ind. – McKendree University concluded a three-game road swing here Saturday afternoon by splitting a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against 17th-ranked University of Southern Indiana at USI Softball Field.
 
In Saturday's doubleheader, the Bearcats opened the day with a 3-1 win thanks to 2-run homer in seventh inning by junior outfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) and a complete game pitching gem from sophomore Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington), before suffering a 2-1 loss in the eight innings to the Screaming Eagles in the nightcap.
 
With the doubleheader split, McKendree improves to 17-21 overall and 9-13 in the GLVC, while USI moves to 32-10 overall and 18-2 in the GLVC.
 
GAME 1 – McKENDREE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
In Saturday's first game, the Bearcats outhit the Screaming Eagles, 8-5, but left eight runners on base in game, including stranding two runners on base in both the third and fifth innings.
 
Stansbury was one of three Bearcats to record two hits in the game as freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) and junior second baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) were the others.
 
Neither team was able to score in the first four innings until the top of the fifth inning as the Bearcats recorded three hits, including an RBI single by Stansbury. Stansbury's single allowed Lawrence to score the game's first run as Lawrence reached on an infield single, before stealing second and scoring on Stansbury's single.
 
The Bearcats pushed its lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh as Stansbury drilled a 1-1 pitch from Allie Goodin over the fence in right field for her single season school record 17th home run. The homer by Stansbury bettered the old single season school of 16, which was most recently set by Brooke Gajewski in 2018.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, USI would prevent Quaethem from picking up her fourth shutout of the season as the Screaming Eagles recorded three hits in the inning and scored a run on a sacrifice fly by Sammie Kihega. After allowing the next hitter, Rachel Martinez, to reach on an infield single, Quaethem would close out the game by forcing Mary Bean to ground out to second to seal McKendree's win over the GLVC-leading Screaming Eagles.
 
Quaethem (12-7) tossed her 14th complete game as she allowed five hits and one run, while walking one and striking out five. The five strikeouts pushed her season total to 121 in 113.2 innings.
 
Five different USI players recorded a hit in the game.
 
Goodin (7-2) took the loss in the circle for USI as she tossed 6.1 innings and allowed eight hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out seven.
 
GAME 2 – SOUTHERN INDIANA 2, McKENDREE 1 (8 INNINGS)
In Saturday's nightcap, the two teams combined for nine hits as USI outhit the Bearcats, 6-3 and the two teams combined to leave 11 runners on base in the extra inning contest.
 
The nightcap also featured an outstanding pitcher's duel between freshman Sydney Bires (Carlinville, lll./Gillespie) and USI's Josie Newman.
 
Bires (2-6) tossed 7.2 innings and allowed six hits and two runs (one earned run), while striking out one and walking none, while Newman (11-3) threw all eight innings and allowed three hits and one run, while walking three and striking out 15.
 
The Bearcats would once again score first in the nightcap as Stansbury took the fourth pitch of the at-bat against Newman over the fence in right for her 18th home run of the season. The home run extended Stansbury's hit streak to three consecutive games.
 
USI would tie game in the bottom of the fourth as they used two hits and a throwing error by Lawrence at shortstop to plate an unearned run.
 
In the eighth inning, Lawrence walked to open the frame, but would be stranded at first after Newman retired the next Bearcats to keep the game tied.
 
USI would earn the win to salvage the split following a 2-out home run by Lexi Fair over the fence in left field.
 
In addition to Stansbury's homer, the other Bearcats to record hits in the nightcap were graduate student first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage) and junior catcher Morgan Andrews (Creal Springs, Ill./Marion).
 
Six different Eagles picked up a hit in the nightcap.
 
The Bearcats committed two errors in the game and Lawrence stole her 15th base of the season in the loss.
 
McKendree will return home next weekend (April 23-24) to host back-to-back doubleheaders against Lindenwood and Maryville at Bearcat Field.