Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., April 18)—The McKendree University baseball team picked up a pair of one-run victories on Saturday over Saint Joseph's College to register a doubleheader sweep at Hypes Field. The Bearcats took the opener 1-0 before rallying to grab a 5-4 triumph in game two.
 
McKendree earned a split of its four-game series this weekend against Saint Joseph's thanks to the two wins on Saturday. The Bearcats improve to 9-29 overall and 8-20 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. McKendree will make the short trip to St. Louis on Tuesday for a non-conference game at Maryville University. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
 
Freshman right-hander Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg) was the story in game one as he tossed a one-hitter to lead McKendree to the win. He faced just three batters over the minimum and needed just 68 pitches in his seven-inning masterpiece. Yung walked one batter and struck out three to collect his first collegiate victory, shutout and complete game. The only hit allowed by Yung was a leadoff single by Matt Skrzypiec in the fourth inning.
 
The one-hitter thrown by Yung is the first by a McKendree pitcher since Cale Johnson allowed just one base hit in a 12-0 victory over Hannibal-LaGrange on April 17, 2009.
 
The only run of the opener came in the bottom of the third inning. Freshman outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) led off with a walk and then stole second base. Two batters later, Groleau moved to third base on a groundout and scored when sophomore first baseman Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) drove an RBI single off the top of the right-field fence.
 
Saint Joseph's starter Keegan Long also went the distance in taking the hard-luck loss. Long allowed just three hits over six innings with six strikeouts.
 
In the nightcap, McKendree scored three times using a two-out uprising in the bottom of the second inning to grab a 3-0 lead. Junior catcher Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) and sophomore infielder Tyson Boehne (Carlyle, IL/Carlyle) reached on consecutive singles. Sophomore outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) then reached on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop, and an errant throw allowed both Davault and Boehne to score the first runs of the contest. Anderson then scored on an RBI single off the bat of Groleau.
 
The visiting Pumas (19-19-1, 13-14-1 GLVC) grabbed a 4-3 lead by scoring two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings. McKendree countered by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth to regain a 5-4 advantage. Senior infielder Pierce Borah (Mt. Vernon, IL/Mt. Vernon) drove in the first run of the frame when he reached on a fielder's choice to knot the score at 4-4. Senior outfielder Kyle Rutledge (Bloomington, IL/Normal), who also reached base earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice, broke the tie when he raced home from third base on a wild pitch.
 
From there, the McKendree bullpen shut Saint Joseph's down the rest of the way, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts over the final four innings of play. Sophomore left-hander Dylan Salsman (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell) earned the victory in relief, tossing 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief with two strikeouts. It also marked Salsman's first mound win with the Bearcats. Senior right-hander Matt Sax (Chicago, IL/Jones Prep) fanned three batters and gave up two hits over the final two innings to notch his first save of 2015.