The Culver-Stockton softball team was upended in both ends of a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader with Clarke University Monday afternoon at Himsl Field in Canton, Mo.

The Wildcats twice held one run leads in the opener only to see the Pride plate three runs in the sixth inning to pick up a 4-2 victory. In the nightcap, C-SC fell behind 10-2 before rallying within 10-8 only to eventually lose 15-8 in the second game.

The losses were extra crucial in C-SC's quest for a postseason tournament berth. The Wildcats are 22-22 overall and in 11th place in the Heart with a 9-13 league record. With six conference games left, C-SC is three games out of a postseason spot.

In the opener, the game was scoreless in the third inning when Lula Sassano doubled with one out for the Wildcats. Samantha Vetter followed with a RBI single up the middle to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The Pride tied the game in the top of the fourth and the score stayed that way until the fifth when Sassano led off the C-SC portion of the frame with a solo home run for a 2-1 lead.

Again, the Pride immediately answered in the next at-bat, scoring three times in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead.

The Wildcats got two-out singles from Ryley Pecina and Kataleena Hunt in the sixth but was unable to do anythinging with them.

In the seventh. Sassano was hit by a pitch and Vetter reached on a fielder's choice that included an error, putting Sassano and Vetter at first and second with on one out.

Payton Todd sacrificed both runners up a base to put the tying run in scoring position; however, Cierra Bush popped out to second and Alecki Ulo grounded out to short to end the game.

In the nightcap, Clarke scored multiple runs in each of the first four innings to take a10-2 lead. C-SC, fearing the run rule, took advantage of five walks, a hit batter and two hits to plate six runs and pull to within 10-8 after four innings.

However, the Pride restored order in the top of the fifth with another multiple run inning, this time a five-spot to take a 15-8 lead. The Wildcats managed just two hits, four baserunners and no runs over the final three innings.

C-SC finished with just five hits in the game with Lauren Waller collecting two of those hits. Bush delivered a two-run homer.

The Wildcats begin the final home weekend of the season on Saturday with a doubleheader against Peru State College on Saturday, April 18. The first game is set to begin at 1 p.m.