Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., April 22)—The McKendree University baseball team nearly overcame an early six-run deficit in non-conference play Tuesday at Maryville University before falling to the host Saints by a score of 12-8.
McKendree moves to 9-30 overall with the loss. The Bearcats will be on the road this weekend for a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference series at the University of Southern Indiana. The series will be played over three days, beginning with a single game Friday night at 6 p.m. in Evansville, Ind.
Sophomore catcher
Kyle Jackson (Hoffman, IL/Carlyle) wielded a big bat at Maryville as drove in a career-high six runs with a double and home run. Junior shortstop
Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) and sophomore first baseman
Zach Klockowski (Tinley Park, IL/Andrew) each added two hits in the contest.
Maryville (17-25) scored in each of the first three innings to build a 6-0 advantage in Tuesday's match-up. McKendree broke up the Saints' shutout in the fifth inning by plating a pair of runs to pull within 6-2. Junior catcher
Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) opened the inning with a single. Two batters later, sophomore outfielder
Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) doubled to put two runners in scoring position. After Davault scored on an RBI ground out by freshman outfielder
Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy), Kunkel produced an RBI single to bring home Anderson.
The Saints answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead back to 10-2. In the top half of the sixth inning, Klockowski led off with a single and senior third baseman
Jake Kline (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) was hit by a pitch. Jackson stepped in next and belted a three-run home run to trim the Bearcats' deficit to 10-5. It was the second home run of the season for Jackson. Maryville then scored twice in the bottom of the sixth for a 12-5 advantage.
McKendree scored its final three runs of the game in the seventh inning courtesy of another big hit by Jackson. Groleau singled, while Kline and Klockowski each drew two-out walks to load the bases. Jackson came to the plate and ripped a three-run double to clear the bases and cut the Maryville lead to four runs. The Bearcats tried to rally one more time in the ninth inning, but the Saints were able to hang on and preserve the win.
Six different pitchers saw action against Maryville, with freshman right-hander
Logan Zachry (Carlyle, IL/Carlyle) being nicked for the loss. Zachry allowed five earned runs in two innings of work.
