(LEBANON, Ill., March 26)—Senior outfielder Ryan Meyer (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) (Breese, Ill./Breese Central) had three hits – including a two-run home run – and drove in five runs to lead the McKendree University baseball team past visiting Maryville University on Friday, 10-4.
The Bearcats won their fourth straight game to improve to 16-8 overall. McKendree will continue its homestand on Saturday with a non-conference doubleheader against Missouri Valley College. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Against Maryville, McKendree trailed 2-0 before scoring at least one run in each of their final five at-bats to rally for the win. The comeback started in the fourth inning when senior infielder Kory Peppenhorst (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) (Carlyle, Ill./Carlyle) led off the frame with a walk and scored on a two-out double by senior infielder Warren Militello (Flora, Ill./Flora).
Peppenhorst added an RBI double in the fifth inning to tie the game before Meyer drove in a run when he reached on a fielder's choice to give McKendree a 3-2 lead. A run-scoring double off the bat of senior infielder Adam Davinroy (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) in the sixth inning helped the Bearcats extend the lead to 4-2 in the sixth inning.
Maryville (4-13) tied the game with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. McKendree then grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh when junior outfielder Daniel Corwin (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) led off with a walk and Meyer blasted his two-run home run to push the Bearcats back out in front, 6-4.
McKendree then added four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap the scoring. Meyer had the big blow of the frame with a two-run single.
Davinroy, Militello and junior catcher Kyle Moll (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) each added two hits for McKendree, which had 12 hits in the game.
Junior left-hander Alex Young (Odin, IL/Odin) (Odin, Ill./Odin) pitched seven strong innings to earn his third victory of the season for the Bearcats. Young allowed just three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
-McK-
