BOONE - The Kirkwood Eagles have the top-ranked softball team in the country, but they'll probably finish as the No. 2 team in their own league.

The Eagles split a doubleheader at DMACC Friday, winning the opener  2-1 and dropping the nightcap 8-5.

The split left DMACC with a 21-1 record in the ICCAC conference with  four games left in the race. Kirkwood is 20-2 and will need help from  another team to win the title.

Kirkwood trailed 1-0 heading into the top of the sixth inning in the  opener when it broke through with two runs.

Maddie Hansen collected a one-out single and was replaced by  pinch-runner Amanda Pipolo, who stole second to get into scoring position. Morgan Frost delivered a two-out double to tie the game 1-1, then Angie McBeain hit another double to drive in Frost and give the  Eagles a 2-1 edge.

Lexi Kinnaird (22-2, 1.25 ERA) kept DMACC off the board in the bottom  of the sixth and seventh to finish the victory. Kinnaird tossed a five-hitter for the victory.

Kinnaird leads the nation in strikeouts, but she fanned only one  batter in the game and did not walk anyone.

Kirkwood's victory in Game 1 left both teams tied for first place in  the conference at 20-1, making the nightcap a showdown for undisputed  possession of first place and probably the title.

The Eagles got off to a fast start with three runs in the top of the  first inning, thanks primarily to a two-run single by DoniRae Mayhew. DMACC scored in the bottom of the first, but Kirkwood countered in the  top of the second for a 4-1 advantage.

The game unraveled in the bottom of the third when DMACC scored five  runs for a 6-4 lead and knocked McBeain out of the pitching circle.  Kirkwood pulled within 6-5 in the top of the sixth, but DMACC scored  twice in the bottom of the sixth for a three-run cushion at 8-5.

McBeain (17-1, 1.80 ERA) suffered her first loss of the season. She  was touched for eight hits and six runs in 2 1/3 innings before yielding to Mayhew.

Taylor Nearad, Hansen, McBeain and Audra Bridenstine had two hits  apiece for Kirkwood.

The Eagles are scheduled to finish the conference season with  doubleheaders at Southwestern Saturday and at Northeast Sunday.

Kirkwood is 44-3 overall and DMACC is 38-6.

GAME 1

Kirkwood     000 002 0 - 2 6 2
DMACC        000 010 0 - 1 5 0

W - Kinnaird. L - Jacobsen.

GAME 2

Kirkwood     310 001 0 - 5 11 1
DMACC        105 002 x - 8 15 1

W - Jacobsen. L - McBeain.