LEBANON, Ill. | Bearcat Field - McKendree University softball (33-20, 16-10 GLVC) brought home the sweep over Southwest Baptist, closing out the regular season by clinching the 4th seed in next week's Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship Tournament. The Bearcats tallied 14 runs on 16 hits over the two games against SBU to secure their position in the upcoming conference championship in East Peoria, Illinois at the EastSide Centre. McKendree celebrated five seniors in the final regular season doubleheader of the 2024 campaign with the careers of
Reagan Cheely,
Ellie Quaethem,
Jordan Sapp,
Olivia Stansbury, and
Taylor Witges being celebrated.
Game 1 vs SBU
McKendree went down in the second inning in the first contest of the day, as SBU scored two runs through a pair of singles. Responding quickly, the Bearcats tied and then took the lead in the third inning, 6-2. The Bearcats scored first with a deep double by sophomore infielder
Lauren Harris, scoring senior infielder
Reagan Cheely and junior utility
Heaven Lawrence. Senior outfielder
Taylor Witges knocked a grounder to second base, being thrown out on the play but gave Harris the chance to make it around home. Junior infielder
Sarah Roth then bashed a single to right with senior infielder
Olivia Stansbury scoring via the hit. McKendree's initial scoring burst was capped off by a bombed home run by sophomore catcher
Mollie Vetter, scoring Roth as well and making the lead four runs.
McKendree then held SBU to no more scoring following their second inning with the Bearcats' final run being a solo homer by Stansbury, which pushed the lead to five.
Senior
Ellie Quaethem (20-8) earned the win from the circle with another complete game, striking out nine in her victorious efforts. The win gives Quaethem her first 20-win season in her collegiate career.
Game 2 vs SBU
The Bearcats looked to grab the senior day sweep and pushed early to do just that with a 2-0 lead behind a second inning home run by
Sarah Roth, which also scored Witges. SBU answered back in the third to cut the lead in half but McKendree responded again as Lawrence doubled to drive in freshman outfielder
Molly Bartz.
In the fifth, the Bearcats tacked on more with
Sarah Roth knocking a single to drive home Cheely which was followed by a homer by senior outfielder
Jordan Sapp, which scored Roth and Stansbury. SBU notched two more runs but McKendree held off the visitor for the sweep.
Junior hurler
Paige McAllister (13-11) got the complete game victory with five punch outs.
UP NEXT
McKendree softball heads up to East Peoria as the No.4 seed in the GLVC, with the first round game taking place on May 2.
