Kirksville, MO - The 21st-ranked McKendree University Softball team opened up Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Truman State Bulldogs. The Bearcats (21-5, 2-0 GLVC) recorded a 4-0 shutout in the opener before following with a 3-2 win in the second game. Across the two games, McKendree pitchers allowed just five total Bulldog (9-19, 1-3 GLVC) runs on 11 hits while the Bearcats produced 18 hits and controlled the middle innings in both games.

GAME 1 | #21 McKENDREE 4, TRUMAN STATE 0
The opener centered around a dominant outing in the circle and an offense that jumped on the opportunities it was given. McKendree finished with seven hits while Sami Huck worked a complete-game shutout, striking out 11 and limiting Truman State to three hits across seven innings. 

McKendree broke the scoreless tie in the second inning. Trista Moore opened the frame with a single and advanced to third when Molly Bartz followed with a base hit to center. Moore then scored on a throwing error by a catcher during the play, and Bartz came home moments later on a wild pitch to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead. 

McKendree added another run in the fourth. Moore singled again and stole second, setting up Addie Clark, who drove a double to right field that brought Moore home and extended the lead to three. Lauren Harris supplied the final run in the fifth inning with a solo home run to left-center field, pushing the margin to 4-0. Harris finished the game with two hits and an RBI while Moore recorded two hits and scored twice. 

With the run support in place, Huck controlled the remainder of the game. She struck out multiple batters in four separate innings and retired the final six hitters she faced to secure the shutout.

GAME 2 | #21 McKENDREE 3, TRUMAN STATE 2
The second game was a tighter-scoring one, but McKendree again produced the offense it needed in the middle innings while Ellie Vetter carried the pitching load. The Bearcats totaled 11 hits and held Truman State to two runs to complete the sweep.

The Bulldogs scored first in the second inning on an RBI single, but McKendree answered in the third when Lauren Harris connected on a solo home run to right field to even the score at 1-1. 

The decisive inning came in the fifth. Laynee Tapp opened the frame with a single before Harris followed with another hit to put two runners aboard. Sami Huck then lined an RBI single down the right field line to score Tapp, and Jasmine Myers added another run-scoring single to bring home Harris and give the Bearcats a 3-1 lead.

Truman State cut the deficit to one in the sixth with a double and RBI hit, but Vetter worked out of the inning and finished the game without allowing further damage. Vetter went the distance, allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out four to earn the victory.

Harris led McKendree offensively with three hits and two runs scored, while Huck and Myers each drove in a run during the fifth inning rally. Molly Bartz added two hits, and the Bearcats placed runners on base in six of the seven innings. 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
@ William Jewell Cardinals (9-15, 0-2 GLVC)
Sunday, March 15th, 2026 - 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM
at Cardinal Field - Liberty, Missouri
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN) (Game 1)
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN) (Game 2)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)