ST. LOUIS – The Drury softball Panthers earned a GLVC road split, dropping the opener 11-2 before winning the nightcap 2-1.  Drury moves to 18-25 overall and 6-14 in the league, and Maryville goes to 18-22 and 8-12 in the GLVC.

In the opener, Maryville scored a pair of runs in the third on an RBI double for an early edge.  The Saints put the game out of reach in the fifth, when they scored six runs on five hits, and two errors.  Maryville cushioned their lead with three runs in the sixth to make it an 11-2 final. 

Drury scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings.  Miki Andrus doubled home Rachael Michaelis in the Panther fifth, and Michaelis drove in Taylor Ellestad in the sixth for Drury runs.

Kari Hillenburg and Michaelis both went 2 for 3 for Drury, who finished with five hits.  Bri Livingston went 3 for 3, and scored two runs in the Saints nine hit effort.

Sheridon Sprague (3-8) earned the win and had three strikeouts in five innings of action.  Jessica Kjeldgaard (9-14) got the loss and threw 4.1 innings.

In the nightcap, the Panthers got on the board in the first, when Ellestad doubled to left center to score Kaelie Smith.  Maryville evened it up with an RBI single in the third.

Ellestad continued to be the answer the Panthers needed, when she led off the fourth with a home run to give the Panthers a 2-1 win.

Ellestad went 2 for 3, had two RBIs, and scored a run to pace the Panthers, who tallied four hits.  Maryville left 10 runners on base on the contest to the Panthers four.

Destiny Bolen (9-11) earned the win in the circle, allowing one run, seven hits, and striking out two.  Alyssa Callans (4-5) received the loss for the Saints, and had two strikeouts in six innings.

Drury will stay in St. Louis and face UMSL tomorrow in a GLVC noon doubleheader.