Romeoville, IL - There was a historical vibe in many ways to the afternoon that the 16th-ranked McKendree University Softball team spent at Lewis Softball Field on Sunday. The Bearcats (36-12, 17-7 GLVC) were wrapping up the true road portion of their regular season against the Lewis Flyers (21-25, 10-12 GLVC). McKendree would cruise to a 9-0 win in game one, thanks to Lauren Harris hitting her 47th career home run, breaking the Bearcats' career home runs record, along with a one-hitter from Sami Huck. In the finale, Ellie Vetter throwing five shutout innings, plus home runs from Harris and Paisley Twait, allowed McKendree to hold on for a 5-3 win.
GAME ONE | #16 McKENDREE 9, LEWIS 0
The opener got off to a quality start, as Sami Huck (who had walked) was in scoring position before an out could be recorded. Alas, the game would stay at zeros for the time being. Huck surrendered what would be her lone hit of the game in the bottom half, a grounder just along the foul line, but a sacrifice bunt and back-to-back strikeouts kept the game scoreless through one.
McKendree made plenty of noise at the plate again in the second. An Ellie Vetter single, Ali Grenzebach single, and Rudy Dobbins walk loaded the bases with just one out, but a fielder's choice to get the lead runner and a ground out would hold any scoring.
After the Flyers went 1-2-3 in the second, the Bearcats finally broke through the run column in the third, thanks to a Jasmine Myers double, with Myers coming around to score on an RBI single from Paisley Twait.
The tone of the game changed in the top of the fourth. A Grenzebach walk, Dobbins fielder's choice (Grenzebach out at second), Molly Bartz single, and Sami Huck single set up a bases-loaded situation with one out for Lauren Harris, who took the first pitch of her at-bat over the left center field fence for a grand slam and the career home run record of 47. The record-breaker made it a 5-0 Bearcat lead through four innings.
The Bearcat bats were able to add some extra insurance in the fifth, with an RBI sacrifice fly from Bartz making it 6-0. McKendree would then get on the doorstep of a run-rule margin with two on and one out, thanks to a Myers walk and Trista Moore's fielder's choice, but two outs kept it at 6-0.
McKendree's offense made one last push in their last trip to the plate, with a Grenzebach single, Grace Cavanaugh walk, and Bartz RBI double happening with no outs. Lauren Harris capped her 7-hit, 7-RBI weekend with a two-run double to left center, scoring Bartz and Cavanaugh and setting the 9-0 final score.
Huck struck out the side to end the game with strikeouts 8, 9, and 10.
GAME TWO | #16 McKENDREE 5, LEWIS 3
The second game started on the same trajectory, with Ellie Vetter holding the Flyers scoreless for five innings.
McKendree got to the scoreboard first amidst that Vetter shutout run, with a Sami Huck single and Lauren Harris double setting up a two-run single for Jasmine Myers.
In the fifth, Harris launched her second home run of the day for career home run number 48. After Myers singled, Paisley Twait joined the home run today with a two-run shot to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Bearcats had a scoring chance in the sixth with a Trista Moore double and a Laynee Tapp walk, but that threat was snuffed. In the bottom half for the Flyers, a walk, a fielder's choice, and one more walk led to a three-run home run to cut it to a two-run game with plenty of game left.
McKendree would go 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, leaving the Flyers with three runs to get and attempt a walkoff winner. A single, a fielder's choice, and a single made it runners on first and second with one out. The winning run had stepped to the plate. However, said winning run would fall victim to a clutch game-ending double play, with Ali Grenzebach stepping on the third base bag for the force before firing it across to Jasmine Myers to close it out.
The Flyers, at 10-12 in league play, have four games left to try and pass Drury for the current 8-seed in the GLVC Tournament, but matchups against UIS and UIndy loom, setting up an intense final regular season weekend. The Bearcats, meanwhile, have clinched their tournament appearance, with anywhere between the 2-seed and the 5-seed still in play.
Sunday's second win also marked the season's 36th (36-12), tying the single-season record for the Heather Tarter Era. The 2024 team went (36-22).
UPDATED GLVC STANDINGS
1st | #4 UIndy Greyhounds | 25-1 | Clinched #1 Seed
2nd | Missouri S&T Miners | 18-6 | Tournament Appearance Clinched
T-3rd | #16 McKendree Bearcats | 17-7 | Tournament Appearance Clinched
T-3rd | UMSL Tritons | 17-7 | Tournament Appearance Clinched
5th | Rockhurst Hawks | 15-8
T-6th | UIS Prairie Stars | 12-12
T-6th | Maryville Saints | 12-12
8th | Drury Panthers | 12-13
GLVC TOURNAMENT CUTOFF LINE
9th | Lewis Flyers | 10-12
10th | William Jewell Cardinals | 10-14
11th | Truman State Bulldogs | 10-14
12th | Lincoln Blue Tigers | 8-16
13th | Southwest Baptist Bearcats | 8-16
14th | Quincy Hawks | 4-20 | Eliminated from Postseason
15th | Upper Iowa Peacocks | 1-21 | Eliminated from Postseason
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
Senior Day 2026*
vs. Upper Iowa Peacocks (6-40, 1-21 GLVC)
Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 - 12:00 & 2:00 PM
at Bearcat Field - Lebanon, IL
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN) (Game One)
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN) (Game Two)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports) (Both Games)
*Senior Day ceremony is expected to take place following game two.
