Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Freshmen pitchers Sydney Fairfield and Demi Plathe held McKendree to eight hits to lead Rockhurst to a conference opening sweep over McKendree, 1-0 and 3-1, on Saturday at RU's Loyola Park.

Fairfield (6-2) held the Bearcats to four hits over seven innings in the opener. In the first inning, Natalie Johnson doubled home Amanda Burger, who reached base on an error by the McKendree shortstop. Johnson collected two of Rockhurst's five hits.

In the second game, the Hawks scored all of their runs in the sixth inning. Plathe had an RBI single and Alex Jacobson added a two-run double. McKendree scored its only run of the game in the seventh. Plathe (3-1) also went the distance on the mound, allowing four hits and zero earned runs while striking out three batters.

The Hawks (10-4, 2-0 GLVC) host Bellarmine on Sunday in a noon doubleheader.