KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The scoreboard at the Truman Softball field looked more like a tote board for an annual telethon than a college softball game as McKendree (Ill.) University and the Truman State Bulldogs combine for 52 runs on 52 hits in a GLVC doubleheader on Sunday. The Bearcats escaped game one with a 15-13 win in eight innings while Truman held off McKendree 15-9 in the nightcap.
 
Brieanna Klein ended the afternoon with four hits, a grand slam and drove in eight runs while Kayla Quanstrum hit three home runs in the two games with six runs driven in. McKendree's Olivia Stansbury won the home run derby with four roundtrippers and finished with eight RBIs in the two games.
 
The Bulldogs return to action next weekend on the road at Lewis University in Romeoville and at the University of Indianapolis.
 
Game 1: McKendree 15, Truman 13 (8 Innings)
McKendree led 10-0 after the top of the third inning but Truman eventually came all the way back to tie the game at 13 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kayla Quanstrum's second home run of the game, a three-run shot in the seventh brought Truman back to within two at 13-11. Emma Walbert restarted the train for the Bulldogs and Cameryn Patterson singled to center to close the gap to one with the tying run in scoring position.
 
Brieanna Klein drove a ball through the infield allowing pinch runner Macy Taylor to sprint home for the tying run. Taylor would be a third base following a wild pitch but Lauren Stade popped out to send the game to extras.
 
An error and wild pitch followed by a double from Heaven Lawrence broke the tie and a perfect bunt added an insurance run for McKendree in the eighth inning. They would hold on for the win.
 
Truman had 20 hits in the game while McKendree had only eight. The Bearcats were aided though by 15 bases on balls issued throughout the contest.
 
Game 2: Truman State 15, McKendree 9
Similar script only roles reversed. The Bulldogs jumped on the Bearcats for a 7-0 lead after two innings. Klein had six of the seven RBIs with a grand slam in the first and a two-run double in the second.
 
However, McKendree would tie the game as their next seven runs came via the home run. Olivia Stansbury hit a two-run shot in the third while was followed up by solo home runs from Skyler Davis and Paige Hayden. Stansbury would strike again with a three-run blast in the fourth to tie things up at seven each.
 
Quanstrum remained hot at the plate as she doubled to start Truman's fourth and would score on a ground out from Callie Unrein as the Bulldogs retook the lead.
 
Truman took advantage of an error in the fifth with Quanstrum belting a two-run homer of the left center field fence to make it 12-7.
 
McKendree got a pair back with a pair in the sixth but Ellie Weltha got those runs back and one more with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning.
 
Nicole Havel struck out the final two hitters and got the save in relief as McKenzie West picked up the win. Havel actually started the game and left for West in the third inning but returned