Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., March 12)—The McKendree University baseball team won for the second time in as many days at Hypes Field, posting a 14-0 victory Wednesday at home against Harris-Stowe State University.
The Bearcats jumped out to a 9-0 lead after three innings of play in cruising to their second consecutive victory. McKendree is now 3-2 overall and will open Great Lakes Valley Conference play at home on Saturday against Rockhurst University. The Bearcats and Hawks will play a doubleheader scheduled for a noon first pitch.
Freshman left-hander Mitchell Langenhorst (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) earned the mound victory in his first collegiate start for McKendree. Langenhorst allowed just three hits with a walk and three strikeouts over five innings of work. He combined with four Bearcat relievers for a five-hitter against Harris-Stowe.
Offensively, McKendree collected 11 hits and took advantage of five errors and nine walks allowed by the Hornets. Junior infielder Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) led the charge with two hits and three RBI during Wednesday's contest. Senior shortstop Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) added two hits and two RBI, while junior third baseman Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) drove in four runs against the Hornets. Freshman Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) chipped in with a pair of hits and three runs scored for the Bearcats.
McKendree needed just five batters to grab a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Kossina led off with a walk, senior outfielder Steven Todoschuk (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada/Saltfleet) reached on an error and junior outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Two batters later, Kline cleared the bases with a three-run double to right-center field to give the Bearcats a three-run lead.
In the third inning, McKendree sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring six times to build a 9-0 cushion. Todoschuk and Rutledge opened the frame with back-to-back walks, and Klockowski followed with a single to load the bases. Kline forced home the first run of the inning when he drew another walk to force home Todoschuk. Rutledge came home on an error to stretch the Bearcats' lead to 5-0.
Borah added a two-run single and Kossina wrapped up the outburst with a two-run single to post the Bearcats' biggest inning of the 2014 season.
The Bearcats added three more runs in the sixth inning for a 12-0 lead. McKendree loaded the bases with one out when Borah drew a walk for his third RBI of the afternoon. After a Harris-Stowe pitching change, freshman catcher Kyle Jackson (Hoffman, IL/Carlyle) delivered a two-run single to cap the frame. McKendree closed out the scoring with two more runs in the seventh inning, which was highlighted by a run-scoring single off the bat of freshman outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw).
The Bearcats have now won their last four meetings with Harris-Stowe, which dates back to the 2012 season.
