(LEBANON, Ill., May 3)--McKendree University completed one of the most dramatic runs in American Midwest Conference Softball Tournament history, winning six games over a two-day span to claim the AMC Tournament championship.

After dropping its opening-round contest late Friday night to Missouri Baptist University, 3-0, the Bearcats avoided elimination with three victories on Saturday, then posted three more wins against the top two seeds in the tournament to win the event. McKendree, the No. 3 seed, defeated second-seeded Columbia College twice in the championship bracket on Sunday, 3-0 and 7-4.

With the tournament victory, McKendree has earned the league's automatic bid to the 2009 NAIA Softball National Championship. The 32-team tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 14.

To view a PDF version of the tournament bracket, click here. Box scores for the 2009 AMC Softball Tournament can be viewed below.

2009 AMC Softball Tournament

Friday, May 1:
Play-In Game: #8 Stephens College def. #9 University of Illinois at Springfield, 4-0 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 1: #1 William Woods def. #8 Stephens College, 5-2 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 2: #2 Columbia College def. #7 Hannibal-LaGrange College, 8-0 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 3: #5 Harris-Stowe State University def. #4 Williams Baptist College, 5-1 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 4: #6 Missouri Baptist University def. #3 McKendree University, 3-0 -- FINAL BOX

Saturday, May 2:
GAME 5: Williams Baptist def. Stephens, 4-3 (At William Woods) -- FINAL BOX
GAME 6: McKendree def. Hannibal-LaGrange, 7-6 (At William Woods) -- FINAL BOX
GAME 7: William Woods def. Harris-Stowe, 15-1 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 8: Columbia def. Missouri Baptist, 3-1 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 9: Missouri Baptist def. Williams Baptist, 5-2 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 10: McKendree def. Harris-Stowe, 5-2 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 11: Columbia def. William Woods, 3-1 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 12: McKendree def. Missouri Baptist, 5-0 -- FINAL BOX
 
Sunday, May 3:
GAME 13: McKendree def. William Woods, 9-6 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 14 (Championship Game #1): McKendree def. Columbia, 3-0 -- FINAL BOX
GAME 15 (Championship Game #2): McKendree def. Columbia, 7-4 -- FINAL BOX