(LEBANON, Ill., April 8)—The McKendree University baseball team won for the fifth time in its last six games thanks to a 7-1 victory Wednesday at home in non-conference play against Union University.
Senior right-hander Cale Johnson (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) (Greenville, Ill./Greenville) went the distance on the mound for the Bearcats, tossing a five-hitter, while senior outfielder Calvin O'Rear (DuBois, Ill./Nashville) (DuBois, Ill./Nashville) cracked a three-run home run in the win. McKendree improves to 21-14-1 on the year and will be in Walnut Ridge, Ark., for a four-game American Midwest Conference series against Williams Baptist College Friday and Saturday.
McKendree grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Junior infielder Adam Davinroy (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by senior infielder Dusty Schallenberg (New Douglas, Ill./Highland) (New Douglas, Ill./Highland). Two batters later, junior catcher Joe Dickman (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) drove a single through the right side to score Davinroy with the first run of the contest.
Union (21-14) scored its only run of the day in the top of the second inning to knot the score at 1-1. McKendree took the lead for good in the third inning. Schallenberg drew a one-out walk, and Dickman singled with two outs to put runners at first and second. O'Rear stepped up next and drove a pitch over the right-field fence for his seventh home run of the year, giving the Bearcats a 4-1 advantage.
McKendree put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, scoring three more times. The Bearcats loaded the bases, and Davinroy drove in the first run of the frame with an RBI groundout. Senior infielder Tom Rose (Highland, Ill./Highland) scored on a wild pitch to push the McKendree margin to 6-1, and the final run of the day was scored on a Union throwing error.
Johnson shut down the visiting Bulldogs with his sixth complete game of the season. Johnson improved to 4-2 on the year as he struck out three batters and walked two. This was the 26th victory in Johnson's career at McKendree, which puts him two behind Eddie Breuchaud for second place on the Bearcats' all-time list.
-McK-
