Alexus Gonzalez had two hits and drove in three runs and Kendruena McPherson had three hits, three runs batted in, and allowed just two earned runs from the circle as Miles defeated Spring Hill 11-4 Tuesday afternoon in the opening game of a three-game series between the top two teams in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Western Division.

The Lady Bears (9-24, 9-2 SIAC West) handed the Badgers (18-13, 13-1) their first conference loss of the season and ended a run of 16 straight wins in SIAC play. Miles also remains the only team to have defeated Spring Hill in league contests, having won three of the last four games played between the two teams.

Miles wasted little time jumping on Badgers pitcher Hannah Brenton in the first inning. McPherson and Zakierra Webb led off with singles and were bunted over by Ombreyah Daly. A double to right by Davis Watkins put the Lady Bears on the board and Gonzalez then provided the big bang, blasting a three-run shot to left - the first of her career - for a 4-0 lead. Spring Hill would score an unearned run in the top of the second but a McPherson sacrifice fly would score Lydia Rodriguez in the bottom of the frame for a 5-1 advantage.

The turning point of the game came in the fourth. Miles was nursing a 6-4 lead and Spring Hill put runners on second and third with no one out. But McPherson coaxed two pop outs to Webb at short and a line out to Daly at third to get out of the inning unscathed. The Lady Bears would then break the game open with three runs in the bottom of the inning. McPherson would drive in Kristie Looney with a run-scoring triple and would score when she beat a throw home on a fielder's choice by Daly as part of the offensive breakout.

McPherson (6-9) would also work out of jams in the fifth and sixth innings as Spring Hill left 10 runners on base. She allowed eight hits and struck out five in the complete-game win. Offensively, she would add a RBI double in the sixth that left her a home run short of the cycle and scored on an infield single by Daly to close out the scoring.

Miles will host Spring Hill in a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.