Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., March 15)—The McKendree University baseball team dropped both ends of its Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Sunday at home against the University of Missouri-St. Louis at Hypes Field. The visiting Tritons took the opener 6-3 before rallying to grab a 5-2 win in game two.
The twinbill served as the GLVC opener for both schools. McKendree moves to 1-8 overall and will host UMSL again on Monday afternoon to wrap up their four-game weekend series. First pitch is set for noon.
In game one, Missouri-St. Louis (6-0, 2-0 GLVC) scored two runs each in the first and fourth innings to build a 4-0 lead. McKendree got on the scoreboard by plating a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore infielder
Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) led off the inning with a walk and sophomore infielder
Tyson Boehne (Carlyle, IL/Carlyle) reached on an error to put runners at first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by freshman outfielder
Brendan Madden (St. Louis, MO/Vianney) advanced the runners a base, Klockowski came around to score on an RBI groundout by junior infielder
Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud).
The Bearcats chipped away at the deficit with two more runs in the seventh inning to rally within 4-3. Boehne started the frame with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Madden then reached on an infield single and sophomore outfielder
Jay Roberts (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Senior outfielder
Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) then reached on a fielder's choice that enabled Boehne to score the first run of the inning. Junior catcher Connor Devault came up next and hit into another fielder's choice, scoring Madden to cut the Bearcats' deficit to a run.
Missouri-St. Louis answered with two runs in the top of the eighth inning to regain a three-run advantage, and the Tritons were able to hold on for the victory. Sophomore right-hander
Jacob Renfrow (St. Louis, MO/Hancock) pitched well in defeat for McKendree, scattering eight hits with four earned runs over seven innings of work. Renfrow did not walk a batter and struck out three.
The nightcap shaped up as a pitcher's duel between McKendree junior left-hander
Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) and Missouri-St. Louis southpaw Kurt McGuire. The contest was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Bearcats broke through for a pair of runs to grab its only lead of the day at 2-0. Davault led off with a double before junior infielder
John Tolliver (Salem, IL/Salem) drew a walk. Both runners advance on a wild pitch before Davault scored on a balk to break the tie and give McKendree a 1-0 lead.
Senior infielder
Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) gave the Bearcats a 2-0 advantage when he delivered an RBI infield single to plate Tolliver.
However, UMSL erupted for five runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead for good. The Tritons rapped out seven hits in the frame, with the big hit coming from Jarret Clark, a two-out, two-run triple to center field that broke a 2-2 tie.
Tolliver and sophomore outfielder
Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) each had two hits in the second game for McKendree. Lidisky was charged with the loss, allowing five earned runs and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked just one and fanned three batters.
