CARLINVILLE, IL – The Blackburn College Softball team bounced back after dropping the opener to beat Mississippi University for Women in the second game to split a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader. 

Senior Holly Heuerman led the way with three hits while senior Mckenzie Smith, sophomore Zoe Mitchell and freshman Kailynn Kruep tallied two hits each. Mitchell also had a team-best three runs batted in while Kruep scored two runs. 

The Owls scored three runs in the first inning of the opener but Blackburn responded with a run of their own when Mitchell singled to score Kruep after Kruep singled to get on base. 

MUW added another run in the second to go up 4-1. BC attempted to come back in the sixth. Junior Miley Kwiatkowski got on due to an error then advanced to second with a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Breana Allen. Freshman Kenadee Frey followed with a double to score Kwiatkowski and narrowed it to 4-2. However, it was the only run the Beavers were able to add to give MUW the opener. 

Blackburn used a big third inning to capture the nightcap victory. Junior Shelby Koeing got things started with a single and got to second off a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Brianna Melchor. Frey would then reach first due to an MUW error. 

Kruep doubled during the next at bat to score Koeing. Heuerman followed with a single to center which scored Frey and moved Kruep to third. After Heuerman stole second, Mitchell followed with a ball that featured an error from the Owls and scored both Kruep and Heuerman and put Blackburn up 4-0. 

The Owls scored a run in the fifth and put two across in the top of the seventh but the Beavers were able to stop the run and take a 4-3 win. 

With the split, Blackburn moves to 17-18 on the season and 6-7 in league play while MUW is now 21-17 overall, 7-9 in the SLIAC. The Beavers return to action Tuesday when they will travel to Greenville for one game.