LEBANON, Ill.- Drury suffered their first losses of the year in games decided in the last at-bat as McKendree handed the Panthers two such setbacks on Saturday at Bearcat Field in Lebanon, Illinois. The Bearcats rallied for a 12-9 win in game one, and they took the second game 5-4 in 8 innings.
 
Drury fell to 26-11 and 7-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference while McKendree improved to 18-20 and 3-9 in the league. It is the first time the Panthers have been swept in a doubleheader this season.
 
McKendree won game one rallying with four runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 12-9 win. The Bearcats took the game despite giving up a six-run fourth inning to the Panthers. Drury trailed 6-3 going into the fourth but put up six runs with Megan Tersteeg and Megan Holmes driving in two runs each with extra-base hits.
 
McKendree took an 11-9 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a three-run homer by Abbie Bailey and tacked on another run to go ahead by three entering the seventh. It marked Drury's first loss of the year when they've gone into the sixth inning with a lead.
 
Holmes went 3 for 4 at the plate for Drury with four runs batted in while Bailey and Miranda Gajewski had four RBI's each for the Bearcats.
 
Daisy Dudek (7-2) took the loss in relief for Drury while Hannah Murphy (6-8) came out of the bullpen to get the win for McKendree.
 
The Panthers rallied for a lead in the seventh inning of game two only to have McKendree come from behind again and pull off the sweep winning 5-4 in 8 innings.
 
Trailing 3-2 going into the seventh, Drury took the lead on a two-RBI double by Megan Holmes. The Panthers failed to hold the lead, though, as Hannah Murphy's solo home run tied the game in bottom half of the inning to force an extra frame.
 
An error to start the bottom of the eighth opened the door for the Bearcats to take the game as Jenny Homann reached base to lead off the inning. Pinch runner Allison Simons would eventually come around to score on Megan Radae's infield single that ended the game.
 
Hailly Greenough (5-4) went all 7.1 innings and took the loss while Hannah Murphy (7-8) got the win in relief for McKendree. 
 
Drury continues their road trip on Sunday as they play a doubleheader at Illinois Springfield at noon.
 
 
#allweDUiswin