(JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 20)—The McKendree University baseball dropped a pair of nailbiters Friday in a split doubleheader at Belhaven College in Jackson, Miss. The Bearcats lost 4-2 in eight innings to Berry College in game one before falling to host Belhaven College in the nightcap, 2-1.

McKendree slips to 0-5 on the year and will meet both Berry and Belhaven again on Saturday. The Bearcats will square off with Berry at 10 a.m., before taking on the host Belhaven Blazers in the final game of the weekend at 1 p.m.

Senior right-hander Cale Johnson (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) and junior right-hander Nolan Martz (East Alton, IL/Roxana) (East Alton, Ill./Roxana) each provided McKendree with a strong starting effort on Friday. Johnson allowed just three hits and two unearned runs in the first seven innings of the opener. He walked three and struck out six but picked up a no-decision.

Martz was nicked for the loss in game two despite allowing just two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts.

Senior Calvin O'Rear (DuBois, Ill./Nashville) (DuBois, Ill./Nashville) gave McKendree a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game one when he belted a solo home run to right field. It was the first homer of the year for O'Rear, who set a Bearcat team record with 24 last season. That lead stood until the top of the seventh inning, when Berry scored twice thanks to a pair of Bearcat errors to grab a 2-1 lead.

McKendree tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Craig Session (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) doubled to lead off the frame. Junior Shane McBride (Troy, Ill./Triad) (Troy, Ill./Triad) came in as a pinch-runner and moved to third on a fly out by sophomore Tyler Muren (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West). Junior infielder Adam Davinroy (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home McBride with the tying run.

Berry then struck for a pair of runs off senior right-hander Cole Schrage (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) (Aviston, Ill./Breese Central) in the top of the eighth to seal the victory.

Just like in game one, McKendree took a 1-0 lead in third inning of the nightcap. Senior infielder Dusty Schallenberg (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) ripped a leadoff single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher Kyle Moll (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah). Two batters later, Davinroy delivered an RBI double to score Schallenberg.

Belhaven struck for its only runs of the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning when Chanse Cooper collected a two-out, two-run double. McKendree threatened in each of the final two innings but could not push across the tying run.

-McK-