Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (KIRKSVILLE, Mo., March 22)—The McKendree University baseball team was swept in both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Truman State University on Sunday. The Bearcats dropped a 7-3 decision in the opener before the host Bulldogs battled to a 10-6 victory in game two.
 
McKendree and Truman State earned a split of their four-game GLVC weekend series, which opened with a twinbill sweep by the Bearcats on Saturday. With Sunday's losses, McKendree slips to 3-13 overall and 2-6 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will step out of conference action on Wednesday to make the short trip to St. Louis to face Maryville University. First pitch for the nine-inning contest is set for 2 p.m.
 
Junior shortstop Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) had a big day at the plate for McKendree with five hits, including three in game one. Kunkel also scored three times for the Bearcats. Sophomore first baseman Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) rapped out a pair of hits in each contest.
 
Truman State (13-4, 6-2 GLVC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of game one before McKendree cut the deficit in half in the third inning. Klockowski and sophomore infielder Justin Becker (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central) opened the frame with consecutive singles. The runners moved up a base on a ground out before Kunkel singled to right field to bring home Klockowski for the Bearcats' first run of the afternoon. Becker then scored when freshman outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) hit into a fielder's choice to trim the McKendree deficit to 4-2.
 
The Bulldogs plated three more runs in the fourth inning before the Bearcats put together a two-out rally to score its final run of the contest in the fifth. Kunkel legged out an infield single before Groleau drew a walk. Kunkel came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of senior outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal).
 
Junior right-hander John Tolliver (Salem, IL/Salem) was nicked for the game one loss on the mound for McKendree. Tolliver scattered six hits over four innings of work, allowing four earned runs with two walks and a strikeout.
 
McKendree drew first blood in the nightcap with a run in the top of the first inning. Kunkel led off the game with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Groleau. Two batters later, senior third baseman Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a Truman State scoring error that allowed Kunkel to score and give the Bearcats an early lead.
 
That lead was short-lived as Truman State responded with four runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 advantage. The Bulldogs added another run in the second inning to extend its margin to 5-1 before the Bearcats put together a rally in the top of the sixth. McKendree scored three times thanks to another two-out uprising to pull within 5-4. Junior catcher Austin Avalos (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South) started the rally with a single before moving to second on a balk. Kunkel drew a walk before Groleau delivered an RBI single to plate Avalos with the first run of the inning.
 
Freshman outfielder Brendan Madden (St. Louis, MO/Vianney) came up as a pinch-hitter and added a two-run single up the middle to score Kunkel and Groleau to slash the Bearcats' deficit to a single run. Once again, Truman State answered in the bottom half of its inning, scoring three runs to push its lead back to 8-4.
 
In the top of the seventh, McKendree scored twice to rally within 8-6. Klockowski singled and Becker – inserted as a pinch-hitter – was hit by a pitch. Sophomore outfielder Jay Roberts (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) came up next and provided an RBI single to score Klockowski. After a sacrifice bunt, Avalos grounded out to shortstop to bring home Becker with the Bearcats' final run of the contest. The Bulldogs added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to close out the sweep.
 
Sophomore left-hander Brad Henry (Godfrey, IL/Alton) allowed three earned runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts in one inning of work to take the game two loss for McKendree.