Marion, IL - The 25th-ranked McKendree University Softball packed plenty into a Thursday at the Oasis Sports Complex, opening the afternoon with a historic pitching masterpiece against Wisconsin-Parkside before rallying late for a 6-5 comeback victory over Grand Valley State to close the day. In the span of just a few hours, the Bearcats (10-4) rode a record-setting performance from
Sami Huck in the circle to a 2-0 shutout over the Rangers (1-6), then used timely extra-base power, including a go-ahead home run from
Addie Clark to erase a multi-run deficit against the Lakers (3-3), finishing the twin bill 2-0.
GAME ONE | #25 McKENDREE 2, WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE 0
The opener quickly became a showcase for
Sami Huck and perhaps one of the most dominant outings in program history.
Huck was untouchable across seven innings, striking out 20 of the 21 batters she retired and allowing no hits in a complete-game shutout. The 20 strikeouts established a new McKendree single-game record and tied the NCAA Division-II record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game. Parkside did not advance a runner past first base, and Huck faced just one batter over the minimum after a hit by pitch in the fourth.
The Bearcats supplied all the offense Huck would need in the top of the first. After Huck led off with a single and advanced into scoring position,
Ali Grenzebach worked a walk to create immediate traffic. A fielder's choice and a stolen base moved runners into position before
Jasmine Myers delivered a two-run single, plating both runs of the game.
From there, McKendree managed just two additional hits, but consistently kept the Ranger defense on their toes, drawing four walks and at least getting balls in play, including a sacrifice bunt and multiple productive outs.
The story, however, remained in the circle. Huck recorded strikeouts in every inning, including three in six of the seven frames. She struck out the side in the first, third, and sixth innings, and ended the game the same way she began it - with a swinging strikeout.
GAME TWO | #25 McKENDREE 6, GRAND VALLEY STATE 5
The second game required a different formula. After five innings, McKendree trailed 4-3 despite nine baserunners through the first five frames. The Bearcats chipped away. In the fourth, Grenzebach opened with a single and later scored on an RBI single from
Laynee Tapp, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
In the fifth, McKendree capitalized on miscues. An error extended the inning before Grenzebach reached and
Lauren Harris drove in a run with a single. Myers followed with another RBI base hit, narrowing the margin to 4-3 and forcing a pitching change.
Grand Valley State added a run in the top of the fifth to make it 4-3, but the decisive swing came in the bottom of the sixth.
Tapp started the inning with a single, and a base hit from
Molly Bartz put two aboard. With one out,
Addie Clark turned on a pitch and drove it over the fence for a three-run home run, flipping a one-run deficit into a 6-4 lead.
Clark finished with three RBI on the homer, while Myers added two hits and an RBI. Tapp contributed two hits and scored twice. McKendree totaled nine hits, five of them coming over the final three innings as the offense applied pressure rather than relying on a single rally.
In the circle,
Ellie Vetter worked the first five innings before giving way to
Olivia Tipton, who secured the win in two innings of relief. Tipton worked around four hits, but limited the damage to one run, stranding the tying run on base in the seventh to close out the one-run victory.
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH HEATHER TARTER
What are your general takeaways from the win over Parkside?
"Yeah, we've been wanting to get Sami in a game where we can get her to build some confidence up. We've thrown her against a lot of the Top 25 teams we've played, so her stats may not have looked the greatest, but overall, we know what she's capable of."
How about the no-hitter from Sami Huck, specifically her 20 strikeouts?
"She was in full control from pitch one. She worked really hard this week to dominate some pitches, some movement - really working on location, and that really paid off."
What did you see out of the team that led to the deficit against Grand Valley State?
"We just talked about it after the game. We didn't make adjustments, but great teams make adjustments throughout the game, and we did that. We hadn't seen a pitcher that had quite as many changeups against us this year, so it was a good challenge for our hitters to overcome that and figure that out."
What did it mean to see that 'never say die' attitude from the team to complete the comeback?
"Our team's just grinders. They grind out at bats. They don't panic. We have a very old team, a very mature team. I was even able to make some subs at the end and those kids came in right away and made an impact. One through 22, we have players that can make that impact. If someone's having an off day, someone else can pick up the slack."
SHE SAID IT - QUOTES FROM BEARCAT PITCHER SAMI HUCK
How important was it for you to feel as in the zone as you were, maybe even knowing the stat line you had?
"I just try and lock in. Today, I tried something new with my catcher, Paisley (Twait), we tried to work on strikes down the middle and really just locked in on that and that really helped."
What was it like for you when it came to staying grounded in a low-scoring game like this one was?
"I can always trust my defense. I know today I only had to trust them for one ball in play, but I know that behind me, they're always going to give it their all."
What was working for you so well when it comes to those high strikeout numbers?
"My curveball, today. That's my main pitch, and that was really working today."
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
2026 Oasis DII Collegiate Classic
vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (3-8) & Ferris State (8-6)
Saturday, February 28th - 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM
Oasis Sports Complex - Marion, Illinois
