(LEBANON, Ill., March 13)—For the second day in a row, the McKendree University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Benedictine University at Springfield. The visiting Bulldogs won Sunday's first game at Hypes Field, 6-5 in eight innings, before the Bearcats rolled to a 12-2 victory in the nightcap.
The split gives McKendree an overall record of 8-14. The Bearcats will open American Midwest Conference play on Friday with a doubleheader at Missouri Baptist University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in St. Louis.
In Sunday's second game, freshman right-hander Cole Wille (Maryville, IL/Collinsville) (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville) received plenty of run support to record his first career victory. Wille scattered six hits over six innings with a walk and two strikeouts. As a team, McKendree rapped out 12 hits in the nightcap against Benedictine-Springfield.
The Bearcats trailed 5-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning in game one. McKendree managed to bat around, sending nine men to the plate in tying the game with five runs in the frame. Senior outfielder Tyler Muren (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) started the comeback with an RBI single. Junior infielder Brandon Gargus (Manchester, MO/Parkway South) (Manchester, Mo./Parkway South) also added a run-scoring single, and junior catcher Jordan Luttrell (Xenia, IL/Flora) (Xenia, Ill./Flora) delivered a two-run double that slashed the Bearcats' deficit to 5-4.
Senior shortstop Daniel Solis (Chicago, IL/De La Salle) (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game at 5-5.
Benedictine-Springfield (2-4) was able to scratch out a run in the top of the eighth inning to regain the lead at 6-5. Solis reached on a two-out walk in the bottom of the eighth, but the Bulldogs were able to hold on and record the final out for the victory.
Muren finished the game with three hits, while Luttrell and senior infielder Andy Kuehn (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) each chipped in with a pair of hits.
McKendree scored in each of the first three innings in the second game to build a 5-0 lead. Freshman outfielder Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) (Millstadt, Ill./Belleville West) led off with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kuehn. Two more walks loaded the bases when Gargus drew a two-out walk to force home Kossina with the first run of the contest.
Solis walked to lead off the second inning and came around to score on an RBI single by senior outfielder Dan Corwin (St. Louis, MO/DeSmet) (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) for a 2-0 advantage. The Bearcats then erupted for three runs in the third inning. Kossina brought home the first run with a bases loaded walk before Kuehn produced the big hit of the frame, a two-RBI double to left.
After the Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the sixth to rally within 5-2, McKendree closed out the game with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior outfielder Brandyn Snider (Fielden, IL/Jersey Community) (Fieldon, Ill./Jersey Community), sophomore infielder Patrick Thole (Carlyle, Ill./Breese Central), senior catcher Kyle Moll (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) and junior infielder Jimmy Smith (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) all had RBI hits in the frame.
Each starter had at least one hit in game two for McKendree. Gargus was the only Bearcat to have two hits in the victory.
