(CANTON, Mo., March 26)—The McKendree College baseball team earned a doubleheader split Monday at Culver-Stockton College. The Bearcats were shut out in the first game by a 3-0 score, then held off a late Culver-Stockton rally to post a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

 

McKendree will take a 13-12-1 overall record into its American Midwest Conference opener on Friday at home against Hannibal-LaGrange College. The Bearcats will host the Trojans in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

 

At Culver-Stockton, McKendree had seven hits to six for the host Wildcats in game one. However, Culver-Stockton starter Geoff Davidson was able to dodge rally attempts by the Bearcats in the final three innings. Davidson struck out 10 batters to pick up his first win of the season.

 

Sophomore Cale Johnson (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) was charged with the loss for McKendree. Johnson scattered six hits over six innings with four walks and three strikeouts. Johnson dropped to 3-1 on the year.

 

Offensively, the Bearcats picked up seven hits in game one. Junior infielder Todd Harpstrite (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, while sophomore catcher Joe Dickman (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) added two hits in the contest.

 

After falling behind 1-0 in game two, McKendree grabbed the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs in the frame, sophomore infielder Craig Session (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) singled to center field. Sophomore infielder Thomas Rose (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) then reached on an error to keep the inning alive before sophomore infielder Dusty Schallenberg (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

 

Junior outfielder Anthony Clervi (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) (Columbia, Ill./Rock Bridge) stepped up next and delivered a two-run double to give the Bearcats a 3-1 advantage.

 

Dickman added an RBI triple in the fifth inning to extend the McKendree lead to 4-1. Culver-Stockton responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth before the Bearcats tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Rose led off the inning with a single, and he eventually scored on a wild pitch. Later in the frame, junior infielder Chris Bellm (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice to give McKendree a 6-2 lead.

 

Culver-Stockton rallied with a run in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the seventh to pull within one run. The Wildcats had the tying run at third base with two outs in the seventh, but junior Tyler Mattmiller (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) retired the final batter on a groundout to preserve the victory for the Bearcats.

 

Schallenberg finished game two with three hits, while Clervi, Rose and Session each had a pair of hits for the Bearcats.

 

Junior left-hander Tyler Schwierjohn (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) allowed eight hits over six innings with six strikeouts to pick up the mound victory for McKendree.