KANSAS CITY, Mo. - McKendree University softball (18-11, 3-1 GLVC) opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play over the weekend, earning three wins in the four-game stretch. The Bearcats swept the Hawks of Rockhurst while they split the doubleheader on Sunday at William Jewell. McKendree hosts UW-Parkside on Thursday afternoon before getting back into conference play as UMSL comes across the metro for a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Bearcat Field.
Game 1 @ Rockhurst
The Bearcats had to come back in the first league game of the season, as RU fired off a run in the first and third innings to hold a 2-0 advantage into the fourth. Freshman outfielder
Molly Bartz broke through for the Bearcats in the fourth, reaching via fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt, which brought sophomore utility
Kinsey Vergason around to home. McKendree trailed 21 following the fourth.
In the sixth, the Bearcats battled back with graduate catcher
Payton Baxter knocking a single to right which scored senior infielder
Olivia Stansbury, tying the contest at 2-2. Sophomore catcher
Mollie Vetter then added a single down left field for Baxter to reach home and have the Bearcats in the lead, 3-2. Rockhurst then tied it up at 3-3 in the bottom half of the sixth.
McKendree took the game in extras as Bartz hit a fly ball to left, scoring senior infielder
Reagan Cheely, securing the 4-3 win. Senior pitcher
Ellie Quaethem earned the win in the circle with a complete game and eight strikeouts.
Game 2 @ Rockhurst
During game two of the doubleheader, the Bearcats bats heated up with 12 hits while scoring seven runs. McKendree scored two in the first inning as Stansbury blasted a homer out to center, scoring sophomore infielder
Lauren Harris with the shot. In the second, junior utility
Heaven Lawrence doubled to right center to push Cheely home, making the Bearcats' lead 3-0. Rockhurst nabbed one run back in the second, but McKendree was not letting off the gas as four more runs were tallied for the Bearcats. Harris singled to bring home junior infielder
Sarah Roth in the third while Cheely then singled in the sixth to score Stansbury.
In the seventh, junior infielder
Jenna Roth singled to advance both runns as Lawrence reached home before Harris added a sac fly to score
Sarah Roth. McKendree held its 7-1 lead for the win as junior hurler
Paige McAllister tossed the complete game with nine strikeouts.
Game 1 @ William Jewell
McKendree looked to keep its weekend going in game one against WJC, scoring in the third inning with senior outfielder
Taylor Witges socirng via wild pitch to nab a 1-0 lead. Jewell responded with one run in the third to tie and a second in the fifth to take a 2-1 advantage over the Bearcats. Bartz singled in the top of the seventh to tie the game back up at 2-2 as sophomore utility
Jenna Getz reached home.
WJC scored the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh to take game one of the doubleheader. McAllister threw the full game with six strikeouts in her effort.
Game 2 @ William Jewell
McKendree bounced back to close out the weekend, shutting out Jewell with a 3-0 contest over the Cardinals. Harris began the scoring with a single through the middle infield to score Bartz and take the lead in the third inning, 1-0. Baxter then reached via error while Harris made it around to home and pusht eh lead to 2-0. In the fourth, Bartz found another single, pushing Vergason home and making the advantage 3-0 for the Bearcats.
McKendfree tallied 11 hits in the victory while Quaethem tossed another complete game with six punch outs.
UP NEXT
March 21 | 1PM/3PM vs. UW-Parkside | Bearcat Field - Lebanon, Illinois |
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March 24 | 12PM/2PM vs. UMSL | Bearcat Field - Lebanon, Illinois |
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