LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University opened a four-game weekend homestand here Saturday afternoon by sweeping both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference  doubleheader against Southwest Baptist in the 'Battle of the Bearcats' at Bearcat Field
 
The Bearcats of McKendree opened the doubleheader with a 2-1 win behind another complete game pitching performance from sophomore Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington), before picking up a 5-2 win in the nightcap to complete its first sweep in conference play on the season.
 
McKendree will conclude the four-game homestand with a doubleheader on Sunday, April 3 against Rockhurst University beginning at 12 p.m. at Bearcat Field.
 
GAME 1 – McKENDREE 2, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 1
In Saturday's opening game of the doubleheader, both teams each had five hits and each team left six runners on base, but McKendree was able to take advantage for four walks and strong pitching from Quaethem to pick up the victory.
 
Freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) and freshman centerfielder Austen Vickery (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) each had two hits in the win.
 
McKendree got all of its scoring in the third inning as they used three hits to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead in the game. In the inning, Vickery led off with a single, moved to second on a stolen base and scored on a triple down the right field line by Lawrence. After junior rightfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) struck out for the first out of the inning, junior second baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) walked to put runners on first and third and then graduate student first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage) delivered an RBI single to center to score Lawrence for the second run of the game.
 
Those two runs would be all the offense Quaethem would need as she would toss her 10th complete game of the season as he allowed five hits and one run, while walking three and striking out five to improve to 9-6 on the season.
 
After allowing just four base runners in the first five innings, the right-hander got into some trouble in top of the sixth inning as she walked Renae Gillmore to lead off the frame, but Gillmore would be retired after leaving first base early on a stolen base attempt for the second out of the inning. SBU, though, would score its only run of the game on an RBI triple down the right field line by Margo Forssard that plated Abby Henson, who reached on a single before Forssard's triple.
 
In the seventh, SBU would put the tying run on base thanks to a lead-off walk issued to Alissa Collette, but Quaethem would leave Collette on base as she retired the next SBU hitters in order.
 
Five different SBU players had a hit in the game.
 
Emma Wood (1-5) took the loss in the circle for SBU as she pitched 2.2 innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out one. Collette, who replaced Wood in the circle, pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed just one hit and walked one, while striking out two.
 
GAME 2 – McKENDREE 5, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 2
Meanwhile, in the nightcap of Saturday's game, both teams each recorded eight hits, but SBU defense committed four errors that led to three unearned runs for the Bearcats.
 
In the game, Lawrence led the way offensively for the Bearcats from McKendree as she was 2-for-3 at the plate. Six other Bearcats had a hit in the win.
 
SBU would get on the scoreboard first in the nightcap as they used a double and an RBI single by Henson to plate a run and take a 1-0 run in the game off fifth-year senior pitcher Makenzie Carter (Anna, Ill./Lindenwood-Belleville).
 
The home team Bearcats would take the lead in the bottom of the third as they used a lead-off double by freshman designated player Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie), two walks, a passed ball and two errors on the passed ball play to plate three unearned runs and take a 3-1 lead in the game. Following Bires' lead-off double, the next two Bearcats recorded outs, before Vickery and Lawrence drew back-to-back walks to load the base. With Stansbury at the plate, Reilly Rupert delivered a pitch that led to a passed ball by Ruby Davis and on the play, Bires scored. As Bires scored, the throw from Davis to the plate went into the infield and that allowed Vickery to score the second run and then on that play, the throw to the plate from first baseman Meadow Vassar allowed Lawrence to come around from first to score.
 
McKendree pushed its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third as Hayden drilled a 3-2 pitch from Rupert over the fence in right for her third home run of the season.
 
The home team Bearcats lead grew to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to bunt single by junior catcher Morgan Andrews (Creal Springs, Ill./Marion) and an RBI infield single by Lawrence.
 
In the sixth, SBU would add a run to pull within 5-2 thanks to an RBI double to left center by Fossard off Bires, who was pitching in relief of Carter.
 
Carter (1-3) earned the win as she tossed four innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking one and striking out one. Bires pitched the final three innings to earn her first save of the season as she allowed four hits and one run, while striking out one and walking none.
 
McKendree stranded seven runners on base in the nightcap, while SBU left five runners on base.
 
Rupurt (2-6), the first of three pitchers for SBU in the game, tossed 2.1 innings and allowed three hits and four runs (three earned), while walking three and striking out two.
 
Eight different SBU players recorded a hit in the nightcap.