Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (Lebanon, Ill.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners used a pair of big innings to take game one over McKendree 7-5 on Friday. S&T scored three in the third and four in the fifth and then had to hold in the seventh to take the victory. The Lady Miners dropped the nightcap 3-2 on walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh after tying it in the top half of the inning.

McKendree (15-21, 8-14 GLVC) took an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the second. S&T (10-25, 5-17 GLVC) answered those three runs with three of its own in the third. Two infield singles and an error loaded the bases with one out. After a pop out Cailey Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) lined a 2-2 pitch into the right center gap to clear the bases.

The Bearcats answered that with a run in its half of the third to regain a 4-3 advantage. The Lady Miners answered back in the fifth. Andi Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara ) and Shelby Michaelis (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) led the inning off with back-to-back singles. Kyra Slemp (Roeland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) moved the runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Baker was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Adrienne Kruse (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) drove in the tying run with a squeeze bunt and then Jackie Lybarger (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) delivered a two-out two-run single to give S&T a 6-4 lead. Dana Lawson (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) added to the lead with a triple to right scoring Lybarger.

McKendree got a run in the seventh and had the tying runs on base with two outs. S&T ended the game by nailing a runner at the plate for its third straight win.
Amber Duncan (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) came on to relieve Becca Strope (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) in the second and allowed only two runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings to earn the win and improve to 4-8 on the season. The offense finished with seven hits led by Michaelis with two.

In the nightcap the Lady Miners jumped on top in the first inning. Davis and Michaelis led the game off with back-to-back singles then advanced on a double steal and Davis scored on a groundout from Slemp. S&T had a chance for more but Baker lined into a double play to end the inning.

The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the third. With two outs and a runner at first Kelsie Stoszkus doubled sending Erica Johnson to third who later scored on a wild pitch. The Bearcats took the lead in the home half of the fifth. Kate Mayes led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. She scored on Johnson's single.

S&T tied the game in the top of the seventh thanks to a two out rally. Cassie Rizzo (Webster Groves, Mo./Webster Groves) got it started with a single and went to third on Davis's single. She would score on a single by Michaelis. That would be all the Lady Miners would get as Slemp struck out swinging to end the frame.

McKendree won it in the home half of the seventh. Mayes reached on an error and went to second on a fielder's choice. She scored on another Johnson to end the game. S&T outhit the Bearcats 9-8 in the nightcap and were led by Davis and Michaelis with two apiece.

Bethany Rader (Memphis, Mo./Scotland County ) went the first four innings allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. Duncan pitched the final two-plus innings allowing an unearned on two hits with a strikeout and suffered the loss.

The Lady Miners are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Springfield, Ill., to take on the University of Illinois Springfield in a GLVC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.