(LEBANON, Ill., March 11)—Seniors Adam Davinroy (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) and Joe Dickman (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) each enjoyed a four-hit performance in leading the McKendree University baseball team to an 11-2 victory Wednesday at Brescia University.
Dickman drove in three runs on the day, while Davinroy added an RBI and a pair of runs scored as the Bearcats completed a two-game sweep of host Brescia. McKendree improves to 9-4 overall and returns to Hypes Field this weekend for a four-game series with Saint Xavier University. The Bearcats and Cougars will play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for each day at noon.
At Brescia, McKendree jumped out to an early 5-1 lead with two runs in the first inning and three more in the second frame. Davinroy led off with a double, and reached third on a single by junior outfielder Tyler Muren (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West). Dickman followed with an RBI single to bring home Davinroy for the first run of the contest. Muren later scored when the Bearcats hit into a double play.
Brescia (0-10) cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the first before McKendree plated three runs in the second inning. Junior outfielder Daniel Corwin (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) belted a leadoff double, and junior infielder Daniel Solis (Chicago, IL/De La Salle) (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) followed with a single to put runners at first and third. The pair then pulled off a double-steal, with Corwin scoring for the first run of the frame.
Davinroy brought Solis home with an RBI single, and Muren added a run-scoring single to give the Bearcats a four-run lead.
McKendree scored three more runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-1 lead, thanks to RBI hits by Dickman, senior infielder Kory Peppenhorst (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) and senior outfielder Ryan Meyer (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) (Breese, Ill./Breese Central). Peppenhorst drove in another run in the fifth when he reached on a fielder's choice to push the Bearcats' lead to 9-1.
The Bearcats closed out their scoring with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Muren reached on a one-out double, and Dickman delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning. Senior infielder Warren Militello (Flora, Ill./Flora) hit a solo home run leading off the eighth inning to account for McKendree's last run of the contest.
Muren finished with three hits and a pair of runs scored. Corwin and senior outfielder Shane McBride (Troy, Ill./Triad) (Troy, Ill./Triad) each added two hits, while McBride scored three times. As a team, McKendree rapped out 19 hits against Brescia pitching.
Six different pitchers worked in the game for McKendree. Junior left-hander Alex Young (Odin, IL/Odin) (Odin, Ill./Odin) picked up the mound victory, allowing just one run over four innings with five walks and four strikeouts. Young did not give up a hit in his four innings of work.
-McK-
