(LEBANON, Ill., April 12)—Despite some late heroics in game one, the McKendree University baseball team dropped both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday at Hypes Field against the University of Indianapolis. The Bearcats fell 7-1 in eight innings in the opener before the visiting Greyhounds won a 16-7 slugfest in game two.

The losses send McKendree to 11-20 overall and 6-16 in the GLVC. The Bearcats will hit the road for their next eight games, beginning with the GLVC twinbill Wednesday at the University of Illinois Springfield. First pitch is set for noon.

After the teams were scoreless heading into the seventh inning of game one, Indianapolis scratched out a run in the top of the frame to grab a 1-0 lead. McKendree had its first two hitters retired in the bottom of the inning before freshman infielder Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) blasted a solo home run over the center field fence to tie the game at 1-1. The round-tripper allowed the Bearcats to force extra innings, but Indianapolis broke the game open by scoring six runs in the top of the eighth to register the victory.

Sophomore left-hander Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) baffled the Indianapolis hitters over the first seven innings. Lidisky scattered six hits while walking two and striking out seven. Sophomore right-hander A.J. Wise (Troy, IL/Triad) took the loss after facing two batters in the eighth inning.

Indianapolis (20-15, 15-7 GLVC) scored twice in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead in game two before McKendree cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the frame. Senior shortstop Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) led off with a single and stole second base. Kossina moved to third on a fly ball and scored when junior third baseman Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) doubled to the gap in left-center field, bringing the Bearcats within 2-1.

The Greyhounds threatened to pull away in the top of the second, scoring six times to build an 8-1 cushion. However, McKendree answered right back with five runs in the bottom of the second to rally back within 8-6. The Bearcats sent 10 batters to the plate as freshman infielder Tyson Boehne (Carlyle, IL/Carlyle) led off with a first-pitch single to left field. Freshman catcher Nathan Micklautz (Louisville, IL/North Clay) drew a walk and freshman outfielder Jay Roberts (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Boehne with the first run of the inning for McKendree.

Kossina worked a walk to load the bases before Micklautz scored on a balk to cut the Bearcats' deficit to 8-3. Two batters later, senior outfielder Steven Todoschuk (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada/Saltfleet) belted a pitch deep over the right field fence for a three-run home run to cap the five-run outburst for McKendree.

The teams traded runs in the third inning, with the Bearcats' tally coming when Micklautz drilled his first collegiate home run down the left field line with one out in the bottom of the frame.

From there, Indianapolis was able to take control, scoring a run in the fifth inning and three in each of the final two innings to pull away for the victory. Freshman left-hander Dylan Salsman (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell) was nicked for the loss on the mound for the Bearcats, giving up three earned runs on three hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.