(SOMERS, Wis., May 4)—The McKendree University baseball team closed out its 2014 season Sunday by splitting a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The Bearcats ran their season-best win streak to six games by taking the opener, 4-1, before dropping a 13-3 decision to the Rangers in the season finale.

McKendree ended the season by winning seven of its last nine games. The Bearcats finished the year with an overall record of 21-29, while posting a 13-23 mark in GLVC play.

In the game one victory, sophomore left-hander Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County) scattered eight hits over six innings to collect his third win of the season. Tonozzi walked one and fanned one batter in the contest. Senior right-hander Jon Trampe (Collinsville, IL/Metro East Lutheran) pitched the seventh inning to notch his first save of 2014.

Senior outfielder Steven Todoschuk (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada/Saltfleet), freshman catcher Kyle Jackson (Hoffman, IL/Carlyle) and freshman infielder Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) each had three hits in the opener for McKendree. Junior third baseman Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) added two hits, including his first career home run in the seventh inning of the game one win. Freshman infielder Justin Becker (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central) had three of the Bearcats' six hits in the nightcap while driving in a run.

McKendree jumped out in front quickly in game one by scoring twice in the first inning. Senior shortstop Tony Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West), in the final at-bat of his four-year career with the Bearcats, led off with an infield single. Kossina moved to third on a one-out single by Todoschuk and scored when Kline delivered an RBI single to left field. Klockowski followed with a run-scoring single to plate Todoschuk with the second run of the frame for the Bearcats.

Wisconsin-Parkside (15-29, 13-23 GLVC) plated an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning to pull within 2-1. McKendree was able to regain a two-run lead at 3-1 by scratching out a run in the sixth inning. Klockowski led off the inning with a double and junior outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) reached on an infield single. Jackson then singled to center field to load the bases before freshman outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) drew a walk to force home Klockowski.

Kline added an insurance run for the Bearcats when he belted a one-out home run over the left field fence. Tonozzi then gave way to Trampe in the bottom of the seventh, who in turn recorded the final three outs to give McKendree its sixth consecutive victory.

In game two, the host Rangers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning before McKendree tied the game in the top of the third. Rutledge opened the inning as he reached on a two-base error and Becker followed with an RBI single to trim the Bearcats' deficit to 2-1. Becker then moved to second base on a wild pitch and third on a groundout before scoring on an RBI single off the bat of Kline to knot the contest at 2-2.

Wisconsin-Parkside took the lead for good by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third to build a 7-2 advantage. The Rangers added two more runs in the fourth for a 9-2 lead before the Bearcats plated their final run of the 2014 season in the top of the fifth. Becker led off the frame with a single and Todoschuk followed with a double down the left-field line. Two batters later, Klockowski lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Becker, trimming the McKendree deficit to 9-4. UWP then closed the game by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and one more in the seventh.

Freshman right-hander Jacob Renfrow (St. Louis, MO/Hancock) was tagged with the loss on the mound for McKendree. In 2 1/3 innings of work, Renfrow allowed six earned runs on eight hits.