Bolivar, Mo. – The SBU softball team began conference play this afternoon as they hosted the Rockhurst Hawks in a doubleheader. The Bearcats fell in both moving to 6-20 (0-2 GLVC) on the season.
 
Game 1: L, 4-7
The Bearcats took an early 1-0 lead to start the game off a sacrifice fly from Emma Vincent, scoring Kaitlyn Ragsdale. Six unanswered runs by the Hawks put SBU in a hole heading into the bottom of the 4^th. Smart base running and timely errors had Bailey Pierce, Rylee Lunn, and Katlynn McConville scoring to bring SBU within 2. The Bearcats couldn't complete the comeback dropping their first conference game of the season. McConville led the team in hits with two and RBIs with three. Three SBU pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts in the game.
 
Game 2: L, 1-10
Bearcats got off to a slow start in game 2 of the day, not getting a hit until the fifth inning. Lunn broke that streak in the first at bat as she tripled down the left field line. The very next at bat gave SBU their first run of the game as Alyssa Reed singled up the middle scoring Lunn.
 
SBU will return to conference play this Wednesday as they travel to William Jewell University. They will take on the Cardinals in a double header starting at 4:00 PM.