LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University softball began the final homestand of the 2022 season here Friday afternoon by splitting a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Maryville University at Bearcat Field.

The Bearcats opened the doubleheader with a 2-0 win behind a complete game shutout from sophomore pitcher Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington), before suffering a 9-1 loss in six innings in the nightcap.

With the split, McKendree improves to 18-22 overall and 10-14 in the GLVC, while Maryville moves to 15-20 overall and 10-12 in the GLVC.

The Bearcats will conclude its home schedule with another doubleheader on Saturday, April 23 as they host Lindenwood for Senior Day at Bearcat Field beginning at 12 p.m. Following the conclusion of the second game of the doubleheader, the Bearcats will recognize their six seniors in a postgame ceremony. This year's seniors are outfielder/infielder Allison Carnell (Jackson, Mo./St. Charles CC), pitcher Makenzie Carter (Anna, Ill./Lindenwood-Belleville), first baseman Paige Hayden (Independence, Mo./Fort Osage), outfielder Sidney Larsen (Des Moines, Iowa/Ellsworth CC), outfielder Taylor Lowry (New Burnside, Ill./Vienna) and third baseman Kelsey Sachs (Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan).

GAME 1 – McKENDREE 2, MARYVILLE 0
In the opener of Friday's doubleheader, the Bearcats outhit the Saints, 5-4, as junior second baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) led the way with two hits in the win. The Bearcats, though, left six runners on base in the win. Maryville left three runners on base against Quaethem.

Along with outhitting the Saints, 5-4, the Bearcats also got another strong pitching performance in the circle from Quaethem as she scattered four hits, while striking out seven and walking none to pick up her 13th win of the season. The shutout was her fourth of the season, while the complete game was her 15th of the year. Quaethem is now 13-7 on the season and has struck out 127 in 120.2 innings of work.

Quaethem got all the offensive support she needed in the bottom of the first as junior rightfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) reached on a one-out single, moved to second on a single by Davis and both runners advanced a base on a groundout by Hayden. Following Hayden's groundout, freshman designated player Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie) walked to load the bases and Sachs followed with an RBI single up the middle that scored Stansbury with the first run of the game.

In the third inning, the Bearcats put two runners on base thanks to a single by Davis and Bires reaching on a hit by pitch, but Maryville's Olivia Jarvis got out of the jam by striking out Sachs to end the inning with two runners on base.

The Bearcats made the score 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to one hit, which was a lead-off single down the left field line by sophomore leftfielder Natalie Schellert (Wentzville, Mo./St. Dominic), two stolen bases, a passed ball and a wild pitch that allowed Schellert to score the second run of the game. On the play, freshman centerfielder Austen Vickery (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) was thrown out trying to score from second on the wild pitch. Vickery had reached base on a passed ball after striking out, but the ball got away from the catcher and allowed her to reach first base.

Quaethem would then take over as she closed the game by retiring nine of the final Maryville hitters she faced after allowing a lead-off single to Lexi Touchette to open the fifth inning.
Taylor Shingler had two of Maryville's four hits in the game.

Jarvis (2-4) took the loss for Maryville as she tossed 3.1 innings and allowed five hits and two runs (one earned), while walking one and fanning seven.

The Bearcats got stolen bases from Schellert and Vickery in the game to push their season total to 36.

GAME 2 – MARYVILLE 9, McKENDREE 1 (6 INN.)
Meanwhile, in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader, Maryville outhit the Bearcats, 11-4, and the Saints took advantage to two Bearcat errors to plate four unearned runs, including plating three unearned runs on a 3-run homer in the top of the sixth from Taylor Duff to give the Saints a 9-1 lead in the game.

Stansbury led the way offensively for the Bearcats as she had two hits and drove home the lone run in the game on her RBI double to right center in the bottom of the fifth.

Maryville jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the second on an RBI groundout by Melanie Nelson off of Bires, who started in the circle for the Bearcats.

The Saints lead grew to 3-0 in the top of the fourth thanks to two hits, a sacrifice fly by Kylie Swinney and a fielder's choice grounder by Isabella Garcia.

Maryville added three more runs in the fifth thanks to five hits, including three straight RBI hits from Duff, Emersen Heron and Swinney to plate three runs and take a 6-0 lead in the game.

Stansbury would get the Bearcats on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth on her 11th double of the season. The double plated freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion), who reached on a two-out single to center.

The Saints would push its lead to 9-1 in the sixth on Duff's homer over the fence in left center. Duff's homer came with two outs in the inning and came three batters after Erin Sammelmann reached on a fielding error by Lawrence to open the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Carly Nolde, who replaced Heron in the circle following Stansbury's RBI doubles, retired the Bearcats in order to seal the win and earn the split.
Bires (2-7) pitched 4.1 innings and allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned), while walking none and striking out none. Carter pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed three hits and three unearned runs, while striking out two.

Heron (9-7) picked up the win for Maryville as she went 4.2 innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking two and striking out eight.

Duff had three hits and 4 RBI for the Saints in the nightcap, while Heron, Swinney and Callie Harrison each had two hits in the win.