Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., April 17)—The McKendree University baseball team was defeated in both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Friday at Hypes Field against Saint Joseph's College. The visiting Pumas edged the Bearcats in the opener 7-6 before grabbing a 6-3 win in game two.
McKendree moves to 7-29 overall and 6-20 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will wrap up their four-game weekend series with Saint Joseph's on Saturday, with first pitch slated for 12 noon.
Senior outfielder
Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal) produced four hits – two in each game – to lead the Bearcats' offensive attack. Sophomore outfielder
Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) added three hits in game one, while sophomore first baseman
Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) drove in a pair of runs in the opener. Senior infielder
Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) also collected three hits on the day for the Bearcats.
In game one, McKendree scratched out a run in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. Singles by freshman outfielder
Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy), junior shortstop
Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) and Rutledge loaded the bases with nobody out. Klockowski stepped up next and lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Groleau with the first run of the day. Saint Joseph's answered with a pair of runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Bearcats erupted for three runs in the fifth inning to regain a 4-2 lead. Sophomore infielder
Justin Becker (Bartelso, IL/Breese Central) started the rally with a one-out single. Groleau reached on an infield single, and Rutledge scored both thanks to a two-out, two-run double to push McKendree back in front at 3-2. Klockowski stepped up next and singled up the middle to deliver Rutledge with the third run of the frame.
Saint Joseph's (19-17-1, 13-12-1 GLVC) battled back with two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the contest at 4-4. McKendree answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the sixth to pull back in front. Junior catcher
Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) belted an RBI double to right-center field to score pinch-runner
Brendan Madden (St. Louis, MO/Vianney) from first base. Davault later scored on a double-play grounder to give the Bearcats a 6-4 advantage. The Pumas then took the lead for good by scoring three times in the top of the seventh inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Anderson led off with a single and Kunkel drew a two-out walk to bring Rutledge to the plate. Rutledge hit a sharp line drive to left field that was speared for the final out, giving the Pumas the game one triumph.
Sophomore
Jacob Renfrow (St. Louis, MO/Hancock) tossed the first six innings for McKendree, giving up three earned runs on six hits with four walks.
In game two, Saint Joseph's raced to a 5-0 lead with three runs in the second inning and two more in the third. McKendree got into the scoring column with two runs in the fourth to pull within 5-2. Kunkel started the frame with a walk and Rutledge singled before senior third baseman
Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) ripped a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center field to plate Kunkel. Sophomore catcher
Kyle Jackson (Hoffman, IL/Carlyle) then brought Rutledge home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The teams traded runs in the seventh inning to close out the scoring for the day. In the Bearcats' half of the frame, senior infielder
Jason Hobson (Griggsville, IL/Griggsville-Perry) drew a walk to open the inning and eventually scored when Kunkel reached on a fielder's choice.
Junior left-hander
Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) went the distance in picking up the loss on the mound for the Bearcats. In his seven innings of work, Lidisky scattered 11 hits and gave up six earned runs with a walk and strikeout.
