The No. 25 Baker softball team split a doubleheader with Benedictine College on Sunday. The Wildcats took game one 7-6 but fell in game two 5-4. The Wildcats now sit at 31-9 overall and 20-7 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Game one saw three lead changes. The ‘Cats went up 2-0 in the second inning from a two-run home run from sophomore Riley Swickard. The Ravens answered in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of runs.

Baker took the lead again in the fifth when junior Megan Porche hit a three-run home run. The ‘Cats added another run in the sixth, when Swickard scored on sophomore Jazzmine Thorpe’s double, making it 6-2 going into the final inning.

Sophomore Hannah Flynn began the inning with a solo home run on a 1-0 count. Benedictine answered in the bottom of the seventh with four runs, making it a close call for Baker, but ended one run short.

Junior Olivia Brees pitched the first six innings, until senior Alexis Korte came in to relieve her. The Ravens earned four runs on Korte before Brees came back in to finish the game for Baker. She struck out 10 batters. Brees is a six-time Heart Pitcher of the Week this season.

Benedictine’s bit of momentum from the end of game one carried over into game two. The Ravens scored two runs in the second and third innings, taking the 4-0 lead.

An explosive offensive effort from Baker in the top of the seventh tied the game. Junior Lydia Konrade and Thorpe each picked up an RBI, and freshman Kristina Slayton added two more for the 4-4 tie. However, in the bottom of the seventh, Benedictine’s Molly Chevalier scored a run off a Tiffany Ray single to end the game.

Senior Teagan Louthan pitched six innings for Baker, allowing three earned runs and striking out one batter. Brees relieved Louthan for the final inning.

The Wildcats will now host Central Methodist on Tuesday at Cavaness Field for a doubleheader. The teams previously met earlier this month and split the doubleheader.