Metro East Sun

Baseball Splits Series with SBU; Sweeps Monday Games

 McKendree University baseball (9-13, 3-5 GLVC) split its series with Southwest Baptist this past weekend, sweeping the Sunday double-header games. The Bearcats notched a 17-12 victory in the third game of the series whil taking the series finale, 10-9. McKendree will return home for its next Great Lakes Valley Conference slate with the Flyers of Lewis coming to southern Illinois on March 25-26. 

GAME 1 | March 19
McKendree took a quick 3-0 over the rivaling-Bearcats in the first inning via bomb by infielder Michael Paule, bringing home infielder Noah Nelson and outfielder Katom Parnell. Adding to the total for McKendree was utility Joey Kossina with a second homer which brought home infielder Brett Freiberg. McKendree led 5-0 after the top of the second inning. 

SBU put up their own six runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-5 lead. 

McKendree added three more in the top of the fourth, nabbing an 8-6 lead. Kossina knocked a deep double, pushing infielder Austin Francis home while Parnell blasted a homer, bringing Kossina home. SBU fired off following the Bearcats' third scoring stint with six runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and four between the seventh and eighth innings. SBU took game one, 18-8. 

The McKendree staff tallied nine strikeouts in the contest as hurler Ryan Drayer took the loss on the mound. 

GAME 2 | March 19
The second game of the series was a tight contest through the first half of the game as SBU took an early 1-0 lead but McKendree tied it at 1-1 in the second. The Bearcats added their first run via outfielder Brandon Roth who fired a double, which brought home outfielder Chyran Cruse. 

SBU managed to tack on two more in the second, making it a 3-1 game but McKendree fought back with a pair of runs in the fourth. Roth proved to be the factor again with a two-run homer, bringing it Cruse, once again. 

The host, SBU, broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, putting up five runs to take an 8-3 lead. McKendree battled back but fell, 9-5. 

The pitching staff totaled eight strikeouts as Owen Gross took the loss on the mound for McKendree.

GAME 3 | March 20
McKendree came back with a strong openings game and inning on day two, scoring seven runs in the first inning behind six hits, including three extra-base knocks. Francis marked the first extra-base hit with a double, bringing home Paule, as Cruse followed it with a two-run homer to score Francis and catcher Tommy Mohan, while Kossina hit a double to score Parnell. SBU scored five in the bottom of the first, making it a 7-5 contest early. 

McKendree added another un in the second as Cruse fired a single to bring home Mohan, putting the Bearcats up, 8-5. SBU returned fire with big seond and third innings, taking a 9-8 lead. 

The Bearcats went back on the offensive with a big latter half of the contest, scoring nine more runs with 11 hits between the fourth and seventh innings. McKendree took the first game of the second day, 17-12. 

Mac Grant notched the victory on the mound, improving to 1-1 this season with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings tossed. 

GAME 4 | March 20
The Bearcats looked to even the series in the finale on Monday afternoon, using a strong middle stretch of innings to do just that. McKendree took a 2-1 lead in the second inning behind a Freiberg single which drove two runs in. 

SBU tied the game at two runs a piece in the third but in the fourth Parnell blasted a double to center field, driving home three with Cruse, infielder Brody Macak, and infielder Kyle Czarnecki all making their way home. After the top of the fifth inning and a runner scoring in Paule, McKendree led 6-2. 

SBU added one back in the bottom half of the fifth, cutting the McKendree lead to just three runs. McKendree then put insurance runs back on the board with three in the sixth and one in the ninth, which put the lead to seven runs, 10-3. 

SBU's attempted comeback was thwarted by pitcher Griffin Frahm, who recorded the save while Kossina (2-2) got the victory on the mound with eight strikeouts. 

UP NEXT
McKendree is set to host the Flyers of Lewis in another #GLVCbase series with a shift in the schedule due to weather. The series will take place on March 25-26 with games on Saturday (3/25) taking place at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Alton, Illinois, beginning at 4PM. Sunday will take place at the Bearcats' home turf, Hypes Field, in Lebanon, Illinois with a 12PM first pitch. 

WEEKEND SERIES (Updated) | Watch / Live Stats
4 PM | Saturday, March 25 | Lloyd Hopkins Field - Alton, Ill. | vs. Lewis (9 innings) 
7 PM | Saturday, March 25 | Lloyd Hopkins Field - Alton, Ill. | vs. Lewis (7 innings)
12 PM | Sunday, March 26 | Hypes Field - Lebanon, Ill. | vs. Lewis (7 innings)
2:30 PM | Sunday, March 26 | Hypes Field - Lebanon, Ill. | vs. Lewis (9 innings) 

Original source can be found here