ST. LOUIS, Mo. – McKendree University softball concluded the 2022 regular season here Sunday afternoon by splitting a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against UMSL at the UMSL Softball Field.
 
The Bearcats opened the doubleheader with a 2-1 win behind a two-run homer by junior rightfielder Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) and a complete game pitching performance by sophomore Ellie Quaethem (Washington, Mo./Washington), before the Tritons scored three runs in the third inning of its 3-1 win in Sunday's nightcap.
 
With the split, McKendree improved to 20-24 overall and 12-16 in the GLVC, while UMSL moves to 28-21 overall and 16-12 in the GLVC.
 
With the split, the Bearcats moved into a three-way tie for eighth place with Missouri S&T and Quincy in the GLVC standings. The top eight teams in the standings at the end of the regular season earn a spot in this year's GLVC Tournament, which is scheduled for May 5-9 at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill. As of this time, the tournament teams and seeds have not been determined as there is one more doubleheader with tournament implications remaining to be played on Monday, May 2 between Lewis and Maryville.
 
GAME 1 – McKENDREE 2, UMSL 1
In the opener of Sunday's doubleheader, the Bearcats were outhit 8-3, but was able to pick up the win thanks to Stansbury's GLVC leading 20th home run in the top of the first inning and the strong pitching of Quaethem, who tossed her 17th complete game of the season, which is tied for 10th on the school's single season chart.
 
Along with Stansbury's homer, the other hits were a first inning single by freshman designated player Sydney Bires (Carlinville, Ill./Gillespie) and a two-out single in the seventh inning by freshman centerfielder Austen Vickery (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township).
 
Quaethem, who improved to 15-7 on the season with the win, got all the offensive support she needed in the top of the first inning as freshman shortstop Heaven Lawrence (Marion, Ill./Marion) drew her 31st walk of the season leading off the game and Stansbury followed with a blast over the fence in right to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead.
 
For the game, Quaethem would allow eight hits and one run, while walking none and striking out two. On the season, Quaethem has walked just 21 batters in 134.2 innings on the season.
 
Quaethem ran into some trouble in the second inning as UMSL loaded the bases on three singles, but Quaethem would leave the bases loaded after striking out Maddie Snemis to end the inning.
 
UMSL would break up Quaethem's bid for a shutout in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI groundout by McKenzie Lamos. Lamos' groundout scored Irene Travis, who opened the inning on a single to right.
In the seventh, Vickery recorded the final hit of the game for the Bearcats on her two-out single to center off UMSL pitcher Megan Brown. Brown, though, would leave Vickery stranded after forcing Lawrence to ground out with Stansbury standing in the on-deck circle.
 
Quaethem would retire the Tritons in order in the seventh to seal the Bearcats win.
 
Travis, Brown and Courtney Settles each had two hits for UMSL in the loss.
 
Brown (2-7) took the loss in the circle for UMSL as she pitched all seven innings and had three hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out seven.
 
The teams left a combined 13 runners on base as McKendree stranded eight and UMSL left five on base.
 
GAME 2 – UMSL 3, McKENDREE 1
Meanwhile, in the nightcap, the Bearcats were once again outhit, 6-4 and their defense committed two errors in the game. The Bearcats' four hits came from four different players.
 
All the runs in the nightcap were scored in the third inning.
 
The Bearcats opened the scoring in the top of the third inning as junior catcher Morgan Andrews (Creal Springs, Ill./Marion) led off with a single, moved to second on a bunt by Vickery, reached third on a wild pitch by Annie Scaramuzzi and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lawrence.
 
UMSL, though, would respond in the bottom of the third as they recorded four hits and scored three runs, including two runs scoring on a 2-RBI double by Brown.
 
The Bearcats had a scoring chance in the fifth as they loaded the bases thanks to a fielder's choice, an infield single by Lawrence and Stansbury being hit by pitch. Scaramuzzi, though, would get out of the jam by forcing junior second baseman Skyler Davis (Muncie, Ind./UT-Martin) to pop-up to shortstop to end the inning.
 
In the seventh, the Bearcats put two runners on base thanks to Vickery and Stansbury drawing walks, but Davis would end the game by grounding into a fielder's choice.
 
Quaethem (15-8) started in the circle for the Bearcats and she went 2.2 innings and allowed five hits and three runs, while walking and striking out none. Bires pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed one hit and no runs, while striking out one and walking none.
 
Six different Tritons recorded a hit in the win.
 
Scaramuzzi (12-6) picked up the win for UMSL as she tossed six innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking two and striking out seven. Mimi Bradley picked up her second save after pitching a scoreless seventh as she walked two.
 
For the second straight game, the two teams struggled with runners on base as McKendree stranded eight on base, while UMSL left five on base.