FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Monday afternoon, the University of Saint Francis Cougars (13-9; 5-5 Crossroads) traveled to Upland, Indiana for a road doubleheader against the Taylor University Trojans (13-12; 10-4 Crossroads) and split both games winning the opener 4-0 before losing the finale 5-0.

Fresh off a complete game shutout Saturday against Goshen, junior pitcher Mackenzie Rust took the mound to start for the Cougars and picked up right where she left off retiring eight of the first nine batters she faced.

Meanwhile on offense, the Cougars threatened in the early innings, but could not break the deadlocked score. The game entered the fifth inning scoreless, but then the Cougars got their bats going.

With one out, center fielder Grace Renbarger worked a walk, and after the next batter popped out, shortstop Abby Erwin came through with a two-out two-run home run to put Saint Francis ahead 2-0. After Rust snuffed out a threat by Taylor in the bottom of the fifth, the offense picked back up in the sixth.

Third baseman Dani Karr singled with one out, and then up came right fielder Aubrey Dunnuck. Dunnuck drove a pitch over the left-center field wall for another two-run home run, her second blast of the season.

The score now stood 4-0 in favor of Saint Francis, and Rust took care of the rest, retiring the side in order the last two innings for her second consecutive complete-game shutout.

Rust improves her record to 7-4 on the season after allowing no runs on just two hits while striking out six batters.

Heading into the finale, sophomore Erika Turpin took the mound fresh off her own complete-game victory on Saturday. She did run into some trouble though in the bottom of the second as three straight hits plated the first run for the Trojans, but she settled in after that to snuff out a bases loaded situation.

Then in the bottom of the third, Turpin made a throwing error to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Then a fielder's choice followed by a single up the middle plated two more runs for Taylor and the Cougars trailed 3-0 through the next several innings.

Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Cougars were still being shut out and then after two quick outs, the Trojans staged another rally. Two hits, and two errors by Saint Francis paved the way for two more runs for Taylor, and the score was 5-0 going into the seventh.

The Cougars put runners on first and second in the last inning but could not cash in as they had to settle for the split. Turpin suffered the loss despite only allowing one earned run (four runs total) over six innings pitched.

The Cougars resume play on Tuesday afternoon when they return home to Westendorf Field for a tough doubleheader against the No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats (25-5; 10-2 Crossroads) beginning at 3:00 pm.