(LEBANON, Ill., March 29)—The McKendree University baseball team battled its way to a doubleheader sweep at home on Tuesday, taking two games from Harris-Stowe State University. The Bearcats rolled to an 11-1 victory in the opener before scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal game two, 3-2.
The sweep boosts McKendree's overall record to 13-18. The Bearcats are now 4-4 in American Midwest Conference play after taking three of four games from the Hornets McKendree and Harris-Stowe split an AMC twinbill on Monday at Hypes Field.
Freshman right-hander Cole Wille (Maryville, IL/Collinsville) (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville) and junior right-hander Josh Rathmann (Germantown, IL/Breese Central) (Germantown, Ill./Breese Central) each tossed a complete game on Tuesday for McKendree. Wille scattered seven hits over six innings in game one with three strikeouts. Wille has won each of his last three decisions to improve to 3-2 on the season. Rathmann allowed seven hits in the nightcap with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. It was Rathmann's second victory and first complete game of the 2011 season.
McKendree exploded for 17 hits in the first game, including a 4-for-4 effort from senior outfielder Tyler Muren (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West), who also drove in four runs. Senior catcher Kyle Moll (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) and junior outfielder Brandyn Snider (Fielden, IL/Jersey Community) (Fieldon, Ill./Jersey Community) each connected for three hits in the opener. Moll blasted a three-run home run in a six-run sixth inning, while Snider delivered an RBI triple in a four-run first inning.
The Bearcats sent eight batters to the plate in their four-run outburst in the first inning. Freshman outfielder Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) opened the game with a walk and stole second base. He scored on an RBI double by Muren for the first run of the contest. Moll followed with an RBI single to bring home Muren for a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, junior infielder Brandon Gargus (Manchester, MO/Parkway South) (Manchester, Mo./Parkway South) reached on a two-out single.
Snider then stepped up and tripled to right-center field to score Gargus. An error on the relay throw enabled Snider to come around and score the final run of the frame for McKendree.
McKendree added another run in the fourth inning to extend its lead to 5-0. Senior shortstop Daniel Solis (Chicago, IL/De La Salle) (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kossina. Muren stepped up and lifted an RBI single to left field to bring home Solis.
After Harris-Stowe (14-17, 4-8 AMC) scored its lone run in the top of the sixth inning to pull within 5-1, McKendree closed out the game with six runs in the bottom of the frame. Muren came up with the bases loaded and delivered a two-run single to left field for a 7-1 Bearcat lead. Moll stepped up next and drilled a three-run home run down the left-field line to stretch the advantage to 10-1.
A walk to senior outfielder Dan Corwin (St. Louis, MO/DeSmet) (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet) and a double by Gargus put runners at second and third with nobody out. Snider then ended the contest with an RBI single.
The Hornets took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of game two, and Harris-Stowe starter Ben Marty made that advantage hold up through the first five innings. McKendree was able to pull within 2-1 in the frame thanks to a double by Muren and a two-out RBI single by Corwin.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bearcats opened with a single by junior infielder Ronnie Calvird (Farmington, MO/Park Hills Central) (Farmington, Mo./Park Hills Central) and a bunt single by senior infielder Andy Kuehn (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah). The Hornets then replaced Marty with Brandon Wehking, who pitched the final five innings to earn the victory in Monday's 4-3, 11-inning win at Hypes Field.
On Wehking's first and only pitch of the contest, Solis bunted back to the mound, trying to advance the runners. Wehking fielded the ball, and his throw sailed past the third baseman down the left-field line. Junior catcher Jordan Luttrell (Xenia, IL/Flora) (Xenia, Ill./Flora), who came in as a pinch-runner for Calvird, scored the tying run, and Kuehn came all the way around from first with the winning run.
