SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- McKendree held off Drury in both games of a doubleheader winning game one 7-1 and game two 2-0 on Monday at Thompson Field in Springfield.
 
In game one, the Bearcats scored four runs in the first inning as they got a RBI double by Rachel Hastings, took advantage of Drury error or a run, and Brooke Gajewski hit a two-run homer to right field to cap their scoring in the frame.
 
The Panthers pulled within three on a RBI single by Rachael Michaelis and threatened in fifth when they loaded the bases with one out. The Bearcats got out of the jam turning a double play on a line drive to first base that doubled up a runner.
 
McKendree put the game away with three more runs in the seventh.
 
Hastings went 4 for 4 for the Bearcats with a double and two runs batted in. Michaelis led Drury going 2 for 3 with a RBI.
 
Drury out-hit McKendree 6-5 in game two but the Bearcats hung on for a 2-0 win. The Bearcats scored a run in the first when Hastings hit a double to drive in a run. Hannah Murphy put McKendree up 2-0 in the sixth with a RBI single.
 
The Panthers threatened in the bottom of the seventh as they put runners on second and third with one out. Bearcats reliever Maci Ingram got a pop to the catcher and a strikeout to the end game to earn her seventh save.
 
Kaelie Smith went 2 for 3 for the Panthers.
 
Kylie Silliman (12-6) got the win allowing six hits in 6.1 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Destiny Bolen (9-15) was stuck with the loss for Drury despite going seven innings allowing five hits and two runs with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
The Panthers fell to 19-32 and 6-20 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. McKendree improved to 30-19 and 16-10.
 
Drury will finish the regular season on the road next weekend. The Panthers are at Lewis on Saturday and at Wisconsin-Parkside on Sunday.
 

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