Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., March 22)—The McKendree University baseball team won both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at home Friday against William Jewell College. The Bearcats used a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to win game one, 6-5, before posting a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
 
McKendree, which was playing its first GLVC home contests, has won its last four conference games. The Bearcats are now 9-5 on the year and 4-2 in GLVC play. McKendree will host William Jewell on Saturday for another league twinbill, with the first pitch set for noon.
 
Sophomore infielder Jeff Tolliver (Salem, IL/Salem) played a key role in each victory for McKendree on Friday. He had three hits on the day, including the game-tying double in the ninth inning of the opener before blasting a two-run home run in a five-run fifth inning of game two. Sophomore infielder Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) added two hits with four runs scored and five RBI against the Cardinals.
 
A pair of freshman left-handers picked up the victories on the mound for McKendree. Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County) tossed five innings of shutout relief in game one to earn the win. Tonozzi gave up four hits and struck out one to grab his second win of the year out of the bullpen.
 
Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) collected his third straight win as he scattered nine hits over six innings in game two. Lidisky walked two and fanned three batters to improve to 3-0 overall. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his first four starts of the year.
 
McKendree grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one. Kline was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning and Tolliver followed with an RBI double down the left-field line. William Jewell (6-9, 2-4 GLVC) tied the contest in the second inning before the Bearcats reclaimed a 3-1 advantage in the third inning. Junior shortstop Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Sophomore outfielder Rutledge reached on an infield single and both advanced a base following a sacrifice bunt by Kline. Both Kossina and Rutledge later scored on a William Jewell error.
 
William Jewell rallied with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to grab a 5-3 lead. McKendree responded with a run in the bottom of the frame to pull within 5-4. Kossina reached on an error and stole second base. Rutledge then brought Kossina home with an RBI single up the middle.
 
The 5-4 score stood until the bottom of the ninth inning. Kline led off the winning rally with an infield single. Tolliver stepped up next and belted a pitch to deep center field for a double, scoring Kline with the tying run.
 
Senior first baseman Rob Beatty (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) then hit a slow bouncer down the third-base line for an infield single. The throw sailed behind Beatty at the first-base bag, allowing pinch-runner A.J. Wise (Troy, IL/Triad) to score the winning run to give McKendree the walk-off win.
 
In game two, McKendree took an early lead thanks to a five-run outburst in the third inning, as all of the runs scored with two outs. Sophomore outfielder Bryce Harre (Nashville, IL/Nashville) led off the frame with a double and eventually moved to third on a passed ball. Three batters later, Kossina reach on an infield single to score Harre with the first run of the inning.
 
Rutledge also reached thanks to an infield single, and Kline followed with a two-run double to extend the Bearcats' lead to 5-0. Tolliver then blasted a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence to close out the third-inning rally for McKendree.
 
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 5-2 before McKendree plated a run in the bottom of the inning. Harre reached on a one-out single and eventually came around to score on an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Jason Hobson (Griggsville, IL/Griggsville-Perry). The Bearcats' final run of the contest came in the fifth inning when Kline scored thanks to run-scoring single off the bat of sophomore first baseman Craig Dalman (Nashville, IL/Nashville).