Lebanon, IL - It was an eventful last 24 hours for the 19th-ranked McKendree University Softball Team. The Bearcats (34-10, 15-5 GLVC) were at Bearcat Field on Saturday, despite not having a game, tasked with ridding the field of its flood waters. Fast forward to Sunday, field dried and game-ready, McKendree was ready to take on the UIS Prairie Stars (28-16, 12-10 GLVC) in conference doubleheader action. Both games saw the proceedings start as a pitchers' duel, and finish with clutch hitting from the Bearcats, as McKendree would take both games in shutout fashion, 4-0 and 7-0, to surpass 2025's 33 wins and set up a marquee weekend road trip with #4 UIndy and Lewis.
GAME ONE | #19 McKENDREE 4, UIS 0
Defense and pitching dominated game one. The Prairie Stars got a runner in scoring position at the top of the first, but that never materialized. With UIS's Calista Stahlhut in the circle opposed by McKendree's Sami Huck, neither team reached second base for three and a half innings.
In the bottom of the fourth, Lauren Harris and Jasmine Myers singled to put two on with nobody out. Paisley Twait sacrificed the duo into scoring position, but two outs followed and kept the game scoreless.
While both teams had a quality scoring opportunity to that point, it wouldn't be until the bottom of the sixth that either team had a baserunner. Walks from Myers and Laynee Tapp put runners on the corners for Twait, who, on a 2-2 count, launched a 3-run home run to pull ahead. On the very next at-bat, also on a 2-2 count, Ryleigh Albers hit a home run of her own to set the 4-0 final margin.
After a leadoff single, the Prairie Stars got a runner up to third base to try and avoid the shutout, but Sami Huck aptly closed the game with her 11th strikeout to give the Bearcats the four-run win.
GAME TWO | #19 McKENDREE 7, UIS 0
Perhaps a deceiving final score, it would again be a pitching battle to start. Sami Huck and Rosie Bartletti, who have combined for six of the GLVC's possible 11 Pitcher of the Week honors, would face off in the series finale.
After the Prairie Stars singled in the first, Addie Clark, Lauren Harris, and Jasmine Myers teamed up for a double play to make it a 1-2-3 inning. UIS got runners on first and second in the second inning, but a Huck strikeout and groundout to Paisley Twait kept the visitors at bay.
Ellie Vetter came on in relief of Huck in the fourth, and the Prairie Stars were promptly retired in order. Yet the scoreboard remained at zero on both sides.
After UIS went down in order again in the fifth, the Bearcats unfurled in the bottom half with another big inning. Ryleigh Albers led off with a double and would eventually score on an error after a failed throw-over on a sacrifice attempt. A long list of substitutions from the Prairie Stars would follow, and after Huck singled and took second base, Laynee Tapp legged out a fielder's choice RBI to take a slim 2-0 lead.
The key play of the game came when, after Tapp swiped second, that set the table for Lauren Harris, who lined a single to left, scoring Tapp and Huck to equal game one's final score.
This time, however, the Bearcats weren't done yet. Vetter and the McKendree defense held UIS to a one-hit sixth. In the bottom half, a Twait single and Moore fielder's choice put two on and nobody out for Albers, who launched her second home run of the day. Those three RBI would set the seven-run final score. The Bearcats would have two shots at walking off via run rule, but that opportunity would be to no avail.
UIS led off their last-chance inning with a single, but three straight groundouts would follow, giving McKendree the shutout sweep of the Prairie Stars, allowing the Bearcats to hold on to sole possession of second place in the GLVC standings.
UPDATED GLVC SOFTBALL STANDINGS (GLVC Records Only)
1st | #4 UIndy Greyounds | 21 wins, 1 loss
2nd | #19 McKendree Bearcats | 15 wins, 5 losses
T-3rd | Missouri S&T Miners | 14 wins, 6 losses
T-3rd | UMSL Tritons | 14 wins, 6 losses
5th | Rockhurst Hawks | 12 wins, 8 losses
6th | Lewis Flyers | 10 wins, 8 losses
T-7th | UIS Prairie Stars | 12 wins, 10 losses
T-7th | Drury Panthers | 12 wins, 10 losses
Current GLVC Tournament Cutoff Line
9th | Truman State Bulldogs | 9 wins, 11 losses
T-10th | Maryville Saints | 8 wins, 12 losses
T-10th | William Jewell Cardinals | 8 wins, 12 losses
12th | Southwest Baptist Bearcats | 8 wins, 14 losses
13th | Lincoln Blue Tigers | 5 wins, 15 losses
14th | Quincy Hawks | 3 wins, 17 losses
15th | Upper Iowa Peacocks | 1 win, 17 losses
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
@ #4 UIndy Greyhounds (47-3, 21-1 GLVC)
Saturday, April 25th - 11:00 AM / 1:00 PM
at Baumgartner Field - Indianapolis, Indiana
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)
