(LEBANON, Ill., March 11)—The McKendree College baseball team opened the home portion of its 2007 schedule with a doubleheader split Sunday against Viterbo University. The Bearcats rallied for a 10-9 win in the opener before the V-Hawks staged a comeback of their own in a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.

 

McKendree moves to 3-8-1 overall and will host Viterbo in the final game of a three-game series Monday at noon.

 

The Bearcats won on their final swing of the bat in game one when senior outfielder Kenny Weston (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) (Dupo, Ill./Dupo) drilled an RBI double to left field to score senior outfielder Kellen Kettwich (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O’Fallon, Ill./O’Fallon) with the winning run. Kettwich had tied the game with his own run-scoring double as McKendree overcame a 9-8 deficit heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

 

Weston finished with four hits in the doubleheader for McKendree, as did sophomore catcher Joe Dickman (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) (Alhambra, Ill./Highland).

 

In game one, Viterbo (10-7) jumped out to a 3-0 lead with single runs in each of the first three innings. The Bearcats cut the deficit to 3-1 on an RBI infield single by Kettwich in the bottom of the third. The V-Hawks extended their advantage back to 5-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth before McKendree answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Junior infielder Chris Bellm (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) led off with a double, and he scored following a Viterbo error. Dickman delivered a run-scoring single later in the inning to bring the Bearcats within 5-3.

 

Viterbo responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to grab a 7-3 lead. McKendree then pulled to within 7-6 with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Bellm posted an RBI double before Dickman’s two-out, two-run double slashed the V-Hawks lead to one.

 

McKendree grabbed its first lead of the game, 8-7, with two runs in the sixth inning. Bellm tied the game with a squeeze bunt to score Weston, who led off the inning with a single to center field. Junior outfielder Brandon Melliere (Red Bud, Ill./Red Bud) (Red Bud, Ill./Red Bud) then beat out a potential double-play grounder to score junior infielder Todd Harpstrite (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) for a one-run McKendree lead.

 

Viterbo plated two runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 lead before the Bearcats’ decisive rally in the bottom of the inning.

 

Dickman had three hits and three RBI to lead McKendree, while Weston, Kettwich and Bellm each posted two hits.

 

Junior Tyler Mattmiller (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) picked up the win in relief for the Bearcats. He allowed two runs on one hit with two strikeouts in the seventh inning.

 

McKendree struck first in game two with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first inning. Dickman singled to center, and he came around to score on a double by sophomore first baseman Craig Session (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia). Viterbo took the lead with three runs in the top of the second before Weston’s solo home run in the bottom of the frame cut the Bearcats’ deficit to 3-2. McKendree regained a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single by sophomore infielder Thomas Rose (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) and a sacrifice fly by Melliere.

 

The Bearcats added two more insurance runs in the sixth inning when pinch-hitter Brandon Holtmann (New Baden, Ill./Breese Central) (Albers, Ill./Breese Central) drew a bases-loaded walk, and junior outfielder Mike Harrison (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) scored on a wild pitch. The two runs gave McKendree a 6-3 lead heading into the seventh inning.

 

But Viterbo turned the tables on McKendree in its final at-bat by scoring four runs in the seventh inning. Weston and Rose each had two hits in the nightcap to lead the Bearcats.

 

Junior left-hander Tyler Schwierjohn (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) was charged with the loss for McKendree. In 6 1/3 innings, Schwierjohn allowed seven runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.