FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Friday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Cougars (15-14; 7-10 Crossroads) played host to the Taylor University Trojans (17-14; 14-6 Crossroads) in a doubleheader at Westendorf Field and split the two games winning the opener 5-4 in walk off fashion before dropping the finale 7-4.

In the opening game, junior pitcher Mackenzie Rust took the mound and set the tone right from the beginning. Despite allowing a first-inning solo home run, she bared down to retire six of the first eight batters she faced.

Then in the bottom of the second, the Cougars showed great patience at the plate as they walked five times, and plated a couple runs to take their first lead of the game.

But in the top of the third, the Trojans got the lead right back with a two-run home run to go back ahead 3-2. In the bottom of the fourth, left fielder Elandra Shafer singled through the hole on the right side to plate the game-tying run as the Cougars were not going away.

Rust continued to dominate on the mound as she continued to work through Taylor's lineup and after snuffing out a threat in the top of the seventh, the Cougars went in order in the bottom as the game went to extra innings tied at three.

Then in the top of the eighth, the Trojans regained the lead as they scored the go-ahead run on a fielding error by the Cougars, but designated hitter Regan Peppler had another thought as she smacked a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, to tie the game back up with the Cougars down to their last out.

Then after Rust put up another scoreless frame in the ninth, the Cougars came to bat looking to put an end to the game once and for all. Then with the winning run on second and two outs, catcher Tori Miller was the hero as she singled up the middle bringing home center fielder Grace Renbarger as the Cougars completed the comeback to earn the win.

In the finale, freshman Mia Werner took the mound to start for the Cougars but struggled in the early going as Taylor went straight to work with the bats scoring three runs in the top of the first to take an early lead.

Another run in the top of the second, and a couple more in the fourth drove Werner from the game as she allowed six runs (only two earned) through three and two-thirds innings pitched. In came sophomore Erika Turpin to relieve and she put up consecutive scoreless frames as her teammates started chipping away.

In the bottom of the fourth, Saint Francis produced a two-out rally, as catcher Carly Turner walked, and then left fielder Aubrey Dunnuck singled home a couple runs as three hits resulted in three runs to cut the deficit in half.

The Cougars added another run in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out RBI-single by Regan Peppler to make the score 6-4.

But the last laugh belonged to the Trojans as they scored in insurance run in the top of the seventh and held on for a 7-4 win as the Cougars settled for the split.

The Cougars resume play on Saturday afternoon when they play host to the Spring Arbor University Cougars (12-19; 6-14 Crossroads) in a doubleheader at Westendorf Field beginning at 1:00 pm.