SMYRNA, Tenn. | Cedar Stone Park - McKendree University softball (1-0) began its 2024 campaign with a tough bout against Ashland, taking the extra-innings contest on a 3-2 score and a complete game from senior pitcher
Ellie Quaethem. The Bearcats had to make a late-game comeback after the Eagles went up in the sixth but tallied a run in both the seventh and eight innings to grab the win in the opener down in Tennessee. McKendree is back in action on Saturday, February 17 at the Music City Invitational against Tiffin and UW-Parkside.
The Bearcats started off the year with a lead in the third inning as sophomore catcher
Mollie Vetter dropped a double down the left field line. Sophomore utility
Kinsey Vergason subbed in to pinch run for Vetter following the stand-up double. Senior outfielder
Taylor Witges added a single to advance Vergason to third base before freshman outfielder
Molly Bartz aired a sac fly, scoring Vergason. McKendree led 1-0 after the top of the third.
Ashland tied the game in the bottom of the third and then captured the lead in its half of the sixth inning. Over the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, the Bearcats totaled three hits with four left on base.
In the seventh, the Bearcats found their way around the bases again to tie the game at 2-2. Witges started it off with another single, her second of the day, before getting moved to second base via sac bunt by Bartz. Sophomore utility
Jenna Getz then pinch ran for Witges. Getz made her way home as sophomore infielder
Lauren Harris punched a single into center field, tying the contest. In the top of the eighth, senior infielder
Olivia Stansbury reached first via walk, advancing to second via sac bunt by junior infielder
Sarah Roth. Stansbury was driven in by a single from Vetter, putting the Bearcats ahead, 3-2, over the Eagles.
McKendree put Ashland out in the bottom of the eighth in three-up, three-down fashion to claim the game.
NOTES
McKendree opened each season under head coach
Heather Tarter with a victory, beating Ferris Statein 2022 (20-0 / 5inn), Cedarville in 2023 (18-0), and now Ashland in 2024 (3-2 / 8inn).
With the win over the Eagles, the Bearcats move to 3-0 all-time over Ashland. The series dates back to 2020 with McKendree outscoring Ashland 15-9 over the three contests.
Senior
Ellie Quaethem recorded her first victory of the season, tossing five strikeouts while allowing just five hits. With the win, Quaethem owns 46 wins in her career.
Freshman
Molly Bartz recorded her first career RBI in the victory, knocking-in the Bearcats' first run of the season.
Four Bearcats tallied multiple hits in the win over the Eagles with
Lauren Harris (2),
Olivia Stansbury (2),
Mollie Vetter (2), and
Taylor Witges (2) all notching multiple knocks in the game.
UP NEXT (*Subject to change)
February 17 | 2PM vs. Tiffin - Field 3 | Music City Invitational - Smyrna, Tennessee / Cedar Stone Park
(Live Stats)
February 17 | 4PM vs. UW-Parkside - Field 3 | Music City Invitational - Smyrna, Tennessee / Cedar Stone Park
(Live Stats)
February 18 | 10AM vs. Thomas More - Field 3 | Music City Invitational - Smyrna, Tennessee / Cedar Stone Park
(Live Stats)
February 18 | 12PM vs. Kentucky Wesleyan - Field 4 | Music City Invitational - Smyrna, Tennessee / Cedar Stone Park
(Live Stats)
