(LEBANON, Ill., March 15)—The McKendree University baseball team bounced back into the win column Tuesday afternoon thanks to an 8-6 victory at Hypes Field against Maryville University.
 
The Bearcats let a five-run lead after two innings slip away, but used a three-run outburst in the bottom of the seventh to collect the non-conference triumph. McKendree improves to 5-11 on the season and will close out its 12-game home stand this weekend by hosting Rockhurst University in a three-game series. The Bearcats and Hawks will meet in a single contest Saturday at 10 a.m. before wrapping up the weekend with a doubleheader Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Against Maryville, junior infielder Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) led the Bearcats' 12-hit attack with three hits. Freshman infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) and senior catcher Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) each chipped in with a pair of hits, while junior first baseman Keith Rogers (Marshall, IL/Marshall) and junior outfielder Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) each drove two runs. Junior outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) also belted a two-run home run for McKendree, which has earned all five of its victories to date at home.
 
In the bottom of the first inning, McKendree sent eight batters to the plate in producing four runs. Johnson started the rally with a double down the left-field line. Davault followed with a single to put runners at the corners before Rogers lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Johnson with the first run of the contest. Freshman first baseman Joe LaCivita (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove South) followed with an RBI single to plate Davault for a 2-0 advantage.
 
After taking a pair of strikes, Anderson hit his two-run home run over the left-field fence to cap the first-inning outburst for the Bearcats. It was Anderson's fourth homer of the season, tying him with Rogers for the team lead.
 
McKendree tacked on a run in the second to take a 5-0 lead. Junior outfielder Colton Calhoun (Mt. Zion, IL/Mt. Zion) reached on an error to open the frame before scoring on a two-out RBI double off the bat of Davault.
 
Maryville (9-10) answered with single runs in the third and fifth innings before a three-run home run off the bat of Sean Murphy in the top of the sixth inning enabled the Saints to knot the score at 5-5. The tie score stood until the bottom of the seventh, when McKendree pushed across its final three runs to take the lead for good at 8-5.
 
Johnson started the winning rally with a one-out double. Davault was safe on a Saints' error ahead of the go-ahead, RBI double off the bat of Rogers to bring home Johnson for a 6-5 McKendree lead. Cates then provided the big hit of the inning with a two-run single up the middle to give the Bearcats a three-run cushion.
 
The Saints clawed back with a run in the top of the eighth, but junior right-hander Matt Henning (Wichita, KS/Bishop Carroll) was able to register the final three outs to earn his second save of the season.
 
Senior left-hander Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County) made the start for McKendree, scattering 10 hits over six innings. Tonozzi allowed four earned runs with a walk and five strikeouts. Junior right-hander Matt Wasche (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief to grab his first victory in a McKendree uniform.