St. Louis – The Maryville University softball team opened play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference by gaining a split with McKendree University, winning the first game 4-2, and then falling in the nightcap, 6-5.
 
The Saints offense came alive in the second inning as Sheridon Sprague opened the frame with a double to left center field and Nikki Taylor launched her third home run of the year over the left field wall to give Maryville a 2-0 advantage. The Bearcats attempted to answer Maryville in the fourth as they put runners at second and third, but Taylor forced a groundout and then a strike out to end the McKendree uprising.
 
The Saints continued to use the long ball in the home half of the fourth as Bri Livingston smashed her first round tripper of the year to drive in Taylor, who walked, to give Maryville a 4-0 lead. The Bearcats plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning and had the bases loaded in the seventh inning before Taylor got a strikeout to end the game.
 
Taylor went the distance for the Saints to improve her record to 6-5 in scattering 11 hits and striking out six Bearcat batters. Taylor aided her cause at the plate with the home run and a pair of RBI's while Livingston went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in.
 
Alyssa Callans got the Saints going in the first inning of game two with a two-out single and Taylor drew a free pass to put runners at first and second. Livingston reached base on an infield single to load the bases and Samantha Hausl drilled a single into center field to score Callans and give the Saints a 1-0 lead. Maryville added a pair of runs in the fifth inning as Callans again singled and moved to second on a Taylor sacrifice bunt. Livingston continued to swing a hot bat by hitting an infield single to put runners at the corners. Livingston moved to second on a ground out and then Courtney Klosinski delivered a single up the middle to extend their lead to 3-0.
 
McKendree tied the contest at 3-3 in the sixth inning, but Maryville regained the lead in the bottom of the frame as Courtney Ferguson smashed a ground rule double down the right field line and moved up to third on a pass ball. Jaclyn Pasakarnis come on to hit a grounder to the pitcher that scored Ferguson to give the Saints a 4-3 advantage. Kelsey Martin kept the inning alive with an infield single and the advanced to second on a wild pitch. Callans gave the Saints a 5-3 lead with an RBI single that scored Martin from second base.
 
The Bearcats (14-9, 1-1 GLVC) battled back and score three runs in the top of the seventh to re-take the lead at 6-5 and held on for the win after setting the Maryville down in order in the seventh.
 
Sheridon Sprague came on in relief in the seventh inning and suffered the loss for Maryville, who fell to 11-11 and 1-1 in the GLVC. Callans helped herself out at the plate by going 3-for-4 with a run batted in and she scored a pair of runs while Ferguson went 2-for-2 with a run scored for the Saints.
 
The Saints continue play in the opening weekend of GLVC play tomorrow with the University of Illinois-Springfield coming to Weber Field for a doubleheader set to begin at noon.