(ST. CHARLES, Mo., May 8)—The McKendree University baseball team was defeated in first-round action at the NAIA Region V Tournament Thursday evening by Avila University, 10-3. The tournament is being held at the Lou Brock Complex on the campus of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

Third-seeded Avila scored seven unanswered runs over the final four innings to pull away and advance in the winner's bracket. McKendree, the No. 4 seed in the six-team, double-elimination tournament, slips to 30-25 overall and will play Friday at noon against top-seeded Missouri Baptist University. A loss will end the Bearcats' season, while a victory would alter the bracket and give McKendree a 9 p.m. game on Friday against either Culver-Stockton College or William Jewell College.

Junior right-hander Cale Johnson (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) (Greenville, Ill./Greenville), the 2008 American Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Year, had his six-game win streak snapped in taking the loss for McKendree. Johnson scattered 10 hits over seven innings of work. He allowed nine runs, but just three were earned. Johnson walked one and struck out six as his record dropped to 8-2 on the year.

McKendree jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore infielder Adam Davinroy (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) led off with a triple to right-center field, and senior infielder Todd Harpstrite (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) followed with a walk. Two batters later, junior catcher Craig Session (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) brought Davinroy home with a fielder's choice to give the Bearcats an early advantage.

Johnson retired the first nine Avila batters he faced, but ran into some trouble in the fourth inning. A leadoff single and one-out walk put runners at first and second before Adam Rodriguez belted a three-run home run down the right-field line to give the Eagles their first lead of the night at 3-1. Rodriguez finished the night with two hits, three runs scored and four RBI to lead a 10-hit attack for Avila.

The Bearcats battled back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to even the contest at 3-3. Junior infielder Dusty Schallenberg (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) and freshman outfielder Tyler Muren (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) led off the frame with back-to-back doubles to trim the margin to 3-2. After a one-out single by Harpstrite moved Muren over to third base, junior first baseman Calvin O'Rear (DuBois, Ill./Nashville) (DuBois, Ill./Nashville) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to bring Muren home and tie the game.

Avila (33-13) took the lead for good with a four-run outburst in the top of the sixth inning to grab a 7-3 advantage. The Eagles loaded the bases with one out before Johnson struck out Kyle Mowatt for the second out of the inning. But consecutive two-run singles by Drew Ambach and Brandon Haley pushed Avila out to a four-run lead. The Eagles then added two runs in the seventh inning and one in the eighth to extend its margin.

NAIA Region V Baseball Tournament

At Lindenwood University – St. Charles, Mo.

Thursday, May 8

Game 1: (1) Missouri Baptist 6, (6) Culver-Stockton 3

Game 2: (2) Lindenwood 16, (5) William Jewell 5 (8 inn.)

Game 3: (3) Avila 10, (4) McKendree 3

Friday, May 9

Game 4: Culver-Stockton vs. William Jewell, 9 a.m.

Game 5: Missouri Baptist vs. McKendree, Noon

Game 6: Lindenwood vs. Avila, 3 p.m.

Game 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 OR Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, 6 p.m.

Game 8: Loser of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 4 OR Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4, 9 p.m.

NOTE: If McKendree wins Game 5, the latter option for Game 7 and Game 8 will be in effect

-McK-