Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., April 20)—The McKendree University baseball team earned a doubleheader split at home on Saturday with Saint Joseph's College. The visiting Pumas cruised to an 11-1 victory in the opener before the Bearcats battled back to grab a 9-6 win in game two.
 
With the split, McKendree moves to 18-16 overall and 13-13 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Bearcats and Pumas will close out their four-game weekend series Sunday with another doubleheader at Hypes Field. First pitch is set for noon.
 
Trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning of game two, McKendree erupted for five runs to grab the lead for good to collect the split. The Bearcats sent 10 batters to the plate in the decisive inning, collecting six hits. An RBI single off the bat of junior catcher Tyler Collins (Marietta, GA/Walker) put McKendree in front to stay.
 
Sophomore infielder Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) broke out of a recent slump to post four hits on the day, including three in the game two victory. Kline also scored three runs in the nightcap. Junior shortstop Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) added three hits in the second contest, while sophomore infielder Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) contributed two hits and a pair of RBI in the win. Senior first baseman Rob Beatty (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) drove in three runs on the day for the Bearcats.
 
In the opener, Saint Joseph starter Jordan Peterson held McKendree at bay, allowing just one unearned run and four hits over seven innings of work. Peterson struck out 12 batters and retired the first 11 batters he faced in the contest.
 
Sophomore infielder Jeff Tolliver (Salem, IL/Salem) reached on a two-out error in the fourth inning before Kline had an infield single. Beatty then ripped an RBI single to right-center field to cut the Bearcats' deficit to 4-1. The Pumas put the game out of reach with four runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth and two more in the eighth inning.
 
Freshman left-hander Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) was nicked for his first loss of the season. Lidisky gave up 10 hits and five earned runs over five innings as his record slipped to 5-1 overall.
 
McKendree used a two-out rally to grab a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning of game two. Sophomore outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) reached on an error and Tolliver walked to start the rally. Kline then brought Rutledge home with an RBI single to break the scoreless tie. Beatty singled down the left-field line to score Tolliver for a two-run lead before Borah capped the outburst with a run-scoring single to played Kline with the third run.
 
Saint Joseph's (20-13, 15-9 GLVC) responded with four runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. An inning later, McKendree put together its decisive inning in the nightcap. Tolliver started the frame with a single up the middle. Kline added a single and, following a Pumas' pitching change, Beatty was hit in the arm to load the bases. Borah singled to left field to score Tolliver with the tying run before Collins drilled a drilled a 1-1 pitch into right field to score Kline with the go-ahead run to give the Bearcats a 5-4 advantage.
 
Junior catcher Kolton King (Marion, IL/Marion) then had an 11-pitch at-bat that resulted in an RBI infield single to push the margin to 6-4. Two batters later, Kossina singled to short right field to make it 7-4 when Rutledge ended the inning with a sacrifice fly to give McKendree an 8-4 lead.
 
The Pumas cut the deficit to 8-6 in the top of the sixth inning before the Bearcats added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame. Kline led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. Beatty then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Kline with the final run of the contest.
 
Freshman left-hander Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County), the fourth pitcher of the game for McKendree, came in to nail down the final three and register his third save of the year. Junior right-hander Ben Dallesasse (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb) scattered eight hits and allowed four earned runs over five-plus innings of work to collect the win for the Bearcats.