(SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 16)—A pair of seniors stood out on Wednesday in leading the McKendree University baseball team to a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader split at the University of Illinois Springfield. A seventh-inning rally in the opener came up short for the Bearcats in a 5-3 loss before bouncing back with an 8-0 victory in game two.

Outfielder Steven Todoschuk (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada/Saltfleet) ripped six hits on the day, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort in game one. Todoschuk belted a two-run home run during the Bearcats' seventh-inning comeback in game one. Todoschuk boosted his team-leading totals to a .386 batting average with five homers and 24 RBI.

Right-hander Jon Trampe (Collinsville, IL/Metro East Lutheran) blanked the Prairie Stars on just two hits in the nightcap. In making his first start of the 2014 season, Trampe registered the first complete-game shutout of his career, walking three and striking out three in the process.

McKendree moves to 12-21 overall and 7-17 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will be in Rensselaer, Ind., on Friday and Saturday for a four-game GLV series at Saint Joseph's College. First pitch for doubleheaders on each day will be at noon.

The Bearcats had 11 hits in each game at UIS, including four extra-base hits in the game two victory. McKendree grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning when freshman outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) led off the frame with a walk, moved to second on a groundout and scored thanks to an RBI single from junior third baseman Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North). Junior infielder Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) provided the Bearcats a 3-0 cushion in the fourth inning when he blasted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field.

Junior outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) accounted for the last four runs of the contest for McKendree. He drove in the fourth run of the game for the Bearcats in the fifth inning when he reached on a fielder's choice to score Todoschuk, who opened the frame with a walk. Rutledge then closed out the scoring in the seventh inning by hitting a three-run home run to left field. The round-tripper was the second of the season for Rutledge.

Meanwhile, Trampe held the Illinois Springfield hitters in check throughout the nightcap. Trampe allowed his first hit of the game with one out in the fourth inning, then gave up just one more single in the eighth inning. Trampe improved to 2-0 on the year thanks to his 110-pitch gem.

In game one, Illinois Springfield (20-15, 12-11 GLVC) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning before McKendree tied the contest in the top of the fourth. Freshman infielder Zack Klockowski singled to right field to start the frame. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, Klockowski scored thanks to an RBI double off the bat of junior first baseman Jeff Tolliver (Salem, IL/Salem) to pull the Bearcats even at 1-1.

The Prairie Stars responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 5-1 lead into the seventh. Freshman Jay Roberts (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) was hit by a pitch to start the McKendree half of the inning, and senior shortstop reached on a fielder's choice to notch the first out of the inning.

Todoschuk capped his 4-for-4 performance in the opener when he blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence, trimming the McKendree deficit to 5-3. Two batters later, Klockowski singled and Rutledge reached on an error to put the tying runs on base for the Bearcats with two outs, but the Prairie Stars were able to record the final out to preserve the win.

Kossina and Klockowski each had a pair of hits for McKendree in game one. Freshman left-hander Mitchell Langenhorst (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) was nicked for the loss on the mound for the Bearcats, giving up two earned runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts over four innings.