(LEBANON, Ill., April 8)—The McKendree University baseball team was defeated in non-conference action Wednesday evening at Maryville University, 15-8.
The Bearcats pounded out 12 hits in the game, but could not hold off an offensive surge in the middle innings by the host Saints in dropping their eighth consecutive game. McKendree slips to 16-16 overall and will play a doubleheader at Harris-Stowe State University Friday at 1 p.m. in the first two games of a four-game American Midwest Conference series.
Junior catcher Kyle Moll (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) hit a three-run home run and drove in four for the Bearcats at Maryville. A quartet of McKendree players each added two hits in the contests, with junior outfielder Daniel Corwin (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) adding three runs scored.
After falling behind 1-0, McKendree struck for four runs in the top of the second inning to grab a 4-1 lead. Junior outfielder Tyler Muren (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) got the Bearcats on the scoreboard with an RBI single ahead of Moll's three-run homer to cap the inning. Maryville (6-22) responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to even the contest at 4-4.
The Bearcats took their final lead of the night with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Corwin started the frame with a single and eventually scored on an RBI single off the bat of junior infielder Daniel Solis (Chicago, IL/De La Salle) (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle). The Saints managed to send 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, scoring seven runs to seize an 11-5 advantage. Maryville tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 13-5 before McKendree plated a run in the top of the sixth. Corwin started the rally once again with a leadoff double. Two batters later, Moll lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Corwin to cut the deficit to 13-6.
Maryville scored its final two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 15-6 lead. The Bearcats plated the final runs of the game in the seventh inning. Senior infielder Warren Militello grounded into a fielder's choice to score senior outfielder Shane McBride (Troy, Ill./Triad) (Troy, Ill./Triad), who led off the inning with a double. Militello scored on an RBI double off the bat of senior catcher Joe Dickman (Alhambra, Ill./Highland) (Alhambra, Ill./Highland).
Corwin, Dickman, Muren and senior infielder Adam Davinroy (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) (Shiloh, Ill./Althoff Catholic) each had two hits in the game for McKendree. Sophomore right-hander Josh Rathmann (Germantown, IL/Breese Central) (Germantown, Ill./Breese Central) pitched three-plus innings in taking the loss on the mound for the Bearcats.
-McK-
