Lebanon, Ill. – The SBU softball team took on one of the top teams in the GLVC and the Nation Saturday afternoon. Southwest Baptist split the day against #16 McKendree University moving to 13-15 (3-3 GLVC) on the season.
Game 1: Loss, 0-9
First game of the day was all McKendree as they got the lead in the first inning and held all the way through. SBU kept it a close game at just 0-3 until the fifth inning when McKendree poured on six runs ending the game in five.
Abby Leer started on the mound and recorded the loss, moving to 5-7 on the season.
Game 2: Win, 6-4
SBU took control of the second game early on scoring six unanswered in the first five innings. The scoring started in the 2
nd inning as
Taylor Howard opened with a single to third base scoring
Ashley Gruben. Great at bats by the Bearcats in succeeding batters scored two more runs with walks. After a
Keeley Elsea walk,
Kinleigh Kite went to the plate with bases loaded and recorded an RBI walk after an eight pitch at bat. Immediately following Gracee Brockman notched her own RBI walk with an 11 pitch at bat including six foul balls.
Scoring continued in the fourth inning as Brockman recorded another RBI in a single that scored Elsea from third.
Jacie Frencken hit a slow roller in the perfect spot through the infield to score Jalaya Reis. Solid baserunning in the fifth had
Joscelyn Bennett stealing home for the final SBU run of the game.
Trailing by six the #16 team did not go away quietly starting with a two-run blast in the 6
th inning. They continued to put the pressure on in the 7
th with another two-run home run bringing the game within two and zero outs. After an incredible outing by senior
Shalie Wooden, freshman
Cambri Van Loo came into relieve and performed as if she was a senior. Even with runners on second and third, one out, Van Loo was able to get two more outs handing SBU the victory and herself another save. She recorded her 4
th save of the season which ties the SBU single season record, with 26 games still to go.
Southwest Baptist will finish the road trip Sunday afternoon at University of Illinois-Springfield, another top team in the GLVC. The doubleheader will start at 12:00 p.m. in Springfield, Illinois.
