KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Truman State University softball team opened up its 2019 home and GLVC schedules on Sunday afternoon with William Jewell in town. The Bulldogs turned in a gem of a performance to take game one, 8-1, but stumbled in game two as the Cardinals won it, 5-1, to split the doubleheader.

Truman is now 11-2 overall and 1-1 in the GLVC while William Jewell is right at the .500 mark both overall (6-6) and in league action (1-1). The Bulldogs will be at home again on Monday afternoon with a doubleheader against Rockhurst set to begin at noon at Truman Softball Park.

In game one, Lauren Dale (7-1) was brilliant for her third complete game of the season and her offense had her back. Truman scored one run in the first to tie it followed by three in third, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Morgan McMahan (three-run) and Christa Reisinger (two-run) each went deep while Emma Walbert singled in the first run and Brooke VunCannon brought in a pair with a double in the fifth and a single in the sixth.

Back to Dale, the senior slinger gave up just the one earned run on four hits with six walks and three strikeouts. Since falling to 2-1, Dale has gone 5-0 in her last six outings, four of which were as the starting pitcher.

In the nightcap, William Jewell put five runs on the board before Truman could respond. The Bulldogs' lone run came on a solo home run from Adrienne Compton in the bottom of the seventh.

Rachael Kernich (1-1) went four innings and surrendered four earned runs on six hits while Alyssa Hajduk allowed just one earned on a single hit in three innings of relief. The Cardinals' Anna Biondo went the distance to improve to 3-3 with just one earned given up, no free passes and three punchouts.

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