Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., April 14)—McKendree University and the University of Illinois Springfield battled to the final pitch in each game of Tuesday's Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Hypes Field. The visiting Prairie Stars held off late rallies by the Bearcats in each contest to sweep the twinbill by identical scores of 4-2.
 
McKendree is now 7-27 on the year and 6-12 in the GLVC. The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, when they open up a four-game conference series against Saint Joseph's College. The teams will play a league doubleheader beginning at noon.
 
Senior outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) and freshman outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) each had three hits on the day for McKendree, while senior third baseman Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) hit safely in each contest. The Bearcats also received strong performances on the mound from each of their starting pitchers, freshman right-hander Logan Zachry (Carlyle, IL/Carlyle) in the opener and sophomore lefty Mitchell Langenhorst (Germantown, IL/Mater Dei) in game two.
 
McKendree scratched out a run in the bottom of the first inning of game one to take a 1-0 lead. Groleau reached on a one-out single and then stole second base. With two outs, Kline hit a grounder that bounced over the first base bag and down the right-field line for an RBI double to plate Groleau with the first run of the contest. Illinois Springfield (18-19, 12-12 GLVC) rallied with a run in the second inning to tie the score, then plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead.
     
The Bearcats countered with a run in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 4-2. Following a pair of ground outs, Groleau stepped up and blasted a solo home run over the right field fence to bring McKendree within two runs. McKendree then brought the tying run to the plate in each of its final two at-bats, but the Prairie Stars held on to collect the game one victory.
 
Zachry tossed 6 2/3 innings in the opener for McKendree, allowing four runs on six hits. He walked five and struck out three as he threw a season-high 109 pitches in the start for the Bearcats.
 
Just as they did in game one, the Bearcats scored a run in the bottom of the first inning of the nightcap for an early advantage. Junior shortstop Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) drew a walk leading off the frame, then reached third on a throwing error by UIS. Kunkel then raced home on a passed ball to jump out to a 1-0 lead. The advantage stood until the third inning, when the Prairie Stars tied the game at 1-1. An inning later, Illinois Springfield scored an unearned run to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The score stood until the bottom of the seventh inning, when sophomore outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) drove a 3-1 pitch over the fence in left field to knot the contest at 2-2. The round-tripper was the first of the season for Anderson.
 
In the top of the ninth inning, UIS scored twice to regain the lead at 4-2. McKendree tried to put together a rally in the bottom of the inning when senior first baseman Jeff Tolliver (Salem, IL/Salem) reached on a one-out error. Once again, the Prairie Stars were able to shut the door as they recorded the final two outs to complete the sweep of the Bearcats.
 
Langenhorst pitched the first five innings for McKendree, giving up one earned run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Blake Deatherage (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) also three well in relief but picked up the hard-luck loss on the mound, giving up one run on just one hit with a pair of strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work.