Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., March 18)—The McKendree University baseball team battled to the finish Wednesday at Hypes Field against Maryville University, but came up on the short end of a 4-3 score to the visiting Saints.
The Bearcats trailed by two runs heading into the bottom of the ninth, but scored once and put the tying run in scoring position. However, the Saints escaped by notching the final out to secure the non-conference victory. McKendree slips to 1-11 overall and will open an 11-game road trip on Saturday with a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Truman State University. First pitch is set for noon in Kirksville, Mo.
Junior shortstop
Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) and senior outfielder
Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) each collected two hits in Wednesday's contest for McKendree. Rutledge, senior infielder
Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) and junior catcher
Austin Avalos (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South) each drove in a run for the Bearcats.
Maryville (8-9) opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the second inning off McKendree freshman right-hander
Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg). The Bearcats responded by tying the game at 2-2 with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, senior third baseman
Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) led off with a double to left field. After a groundout moved Kline to third base, Avalos lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to get the Bearcats on the scoreboard.
Kunkel started the Bearcats' half of the fifth inning with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt by Borah, Rutledge stepped up and delivered an RBI single to left-center field to bring home Kunkel with the tying run.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the eighth inning, when the Saints plated a pair of runs to regain a 4-2 advantage. The score stood until the bottom of the ninth, when McKendree looked to rally one last time. Sophomore infielder
Justin Becker (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central) pinch hit to lead off the frame as he reached on an infield single and moved to second base on a throwing error. Becker reached third base on a groundout and scored when Borah bounced out to third base.
With two outs, Rutledge was hit by a pitch and junior catcher
Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) drew a walk to put the potential tying and winning runs on base. Sophomore infielder
Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) stepped up next and hit a hard ground ball in the hole between first and second base. Maryville first baseman Tyler Omlid was able to corral the ball and toss to Brandon Downey, who was covering first, to record the final out of the contest.
Yung pitched the first five innings for McKendree. He scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs. Yung walked one batter and struck out five. Sophomore left-hander
Dylan Salsman (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell) was charged with the loss, giving up two earned runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.
