LEBANON, Ill. – Taylor Duff collected four RBI including a home run in a 9-1 game two victory over McKendree after losing 2-0 in game one.
 
Game one recap
McKendree scored off Saints' starter Olivia Jarvis in the first inning of game one after a two-out bases-loaded single. Jarvis got the next batter to line out to shortstop to end the threat.
 
Both pitchers continued to keep the offense to a minimum. That is until the Bearcats put runners on first and third to force a pitching change in the fourth. Maryville called on Reagan Smith to work out of the jam and she got her first batter with a strikeout.
 
A stolen base put runners on second and third and a wild pitch brought home the second run of the game. McKendree tried to steal two runs on one pitch but the Saints nailed the second runner to end the inning.
 
Kylie Swinney singled to start the top of the fifth inning, but the home starting pitcher, Ellie Quaethem got the next three in order to end the inning. She continued the streak over the next two innings, retiring her last nine batters to wrap up a 2-0 win for the Bearcats.
 
Winning Pitcher: Ellie Quaethem (13-7)
Losing Pitcher: Olivia Jarvis (2-4)
 
Batting Leaders
Taylor Shingler: 2-for-3
Melanie Nelson: 1-for-3, SB
Kylie Swinney: 1-for-3
 
Game two recap
Maryville broke their scoring drought with an RBI groundout from Melanie Nelson after Swinney singled to begin the top of the second inning of game two.
 
They added to their lead in the top of the fourth after Taylor Duff and Emersen Heron singled to start the frame and their pinch runners came home to score on a sacrifice fly from Swinney and an RBI fielder's choice from Isabella Garcia.
 
Heron continued to blank the Bearcats on the pitching rubber and was further backed up by a trio of Saints runs in the fifth. McKendree got one back in the bottom half, however, to make it a 6-1 lead.
 
With a pair of hits and an RBI in the game already, Duff stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs in the top of the seventh and ripped a three-run home run to left-center field, her third this season.
 
Now with an eight-run lead, Heron finished off the complete game in the bottom half for her ninth win of the year and the Saints' 10^th win in conference play in 2022.
 
Winning Pitcher: Emersen Heron (9-7)
Losing Pitcher: Sydney Bires (2-7)
 
Batting Leaders
Taylor Duff: 3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
Kylie Swinney: 2-for-2, 2 RBI, SB, R
Emersen Heron: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
 
Records:
Maryville: 15-20, 10-12 GLVC
McKendree: 18-22, 10-14 GLVC
 
What's Next?
The Saints travel to the University of Southern Indiana to take on the Eagles in another conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 23. The first game is scheduled to begin at noon.