Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 27)—The McKendree University baseball team dropped both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday at the University of Southern Indiana. The Bearcats lost the opener 6-2 before falling in a tight game two battle, 3-1.
 
With the losses, McKendree slips to 18-21 overall and 13-18 in the GLVC. The Bearcats and Screaming Eagles will close out a four-game weekend series with a single game on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Evansville, Ind.
 
Trailing 3-1 heading into the top of the seventh inning of game two, McKendree loaded the bases with nobody out. But Southern Indiana closer Adam Carver entered the contest and induced two ground balls from the Bearcats – the first one resulting in a double play – to preserve the victory and complete the sweep for the Screaming Eagles.
 
Sophomores Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) and Craig Dalman (Nashville, IL/Nashville) each had three hits on the day for McKendree, while junior catcher/outfielder Kolton King (Marion, IL/Marion) registered a pair of hits and an RBI in game one. Junior right-hander Ben Dallesasse (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb) went the distance in taking the loss in the nightcap. Dallesasse gave up six hits and three earned runs against Southern Indiana in posting his first complete game effort of 2013.
 
In the opener, McKendree jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Kline singled with one out to start the uprising before moving to second base on a passed ball. Dalman stepped up next and drilled an RBI single to center field. Kline raced home and beat the throw to the plate to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. Dalman advanced to second base on the throw to the plate and scored thanks to an RBI single off the bat of King.
 
Southern Indiana (28-15, 17-14 GLVC) responded with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 2-2. The Screaming Eagles then grabbed the lead for good with two runs in the fourth inning and added two more tallies in the fifth inning. From there, USI rode the right arm of David Toth to victory. Toth tossed a complete-game six-hitter as he walked one and struck out three McKendree batters.
 
In game two Southern Indiana scratched out a run in the bottom half of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. The score stood until the top of the fifth, when McKendree was able to manufacture a run to knot the contest at 1-1. Kline led off the frame with a single before moving to second base thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Dalman. Junior catcher Tyler Collins (Marietta, GA/Walker) singled to left field to advance Kline to third base. Two batters later, senior outfielder drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, and ball four skipped to the backstop. Kline raced home with the tying run on the wild pitch to help the Bearcats draw even.
 
The Screaming Eagles regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-out, two-run double from A.J. Dokey to push USI out to a 3-1 advantage. In the top of the seventh inning, McKendree threatened to tie the game as the the Bearcats loaded the bases with nobody out.
 
Dalman led off the frame with a single, and sophomore infielder Blake Abbott (Peoria, IL/Dunlap) came on for Dalman as a pinch-runner. Collins then hit a grounder to first base, and the throw to second base bounced into left field allowing Abbott to move to third base. King was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Carver relieved USI starter Brandon Shaw at that point, and got Thole to hit into a double play, with Abbott thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning.
 
Junior shortstop Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) battled to a 2-2 count before grounding out to shortstop the bring the doubleheader to a close.