(SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 26)—The McKendree University baseball team rallied to gain a doubleheader split of its Great Lakes Valley Conference games Saturday afternoon at the University of Illinois Springfield. After dropping the opener to the Prairie Stars, 7-1, the Bearcats bounced back to edge the hosts 1-0 in the nightcap.
 
McKendree and Illinois Springfield split their four-game conference series to open GLVC play this weekend. The Bearcats are now 10-13 overall and will return to action next Saturday (April 2) when they visit Bellarmine University for another league twinbill. First pitch is set for noon ET in Louisville, Ky.
 
Sophomore right-hander Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg) played a big role in helping McKendree gain the split in both Saturday's doubleheader and the weekend series at UIS. Yung earned the victory in game two, allowing just two hits over seven innings of work. He walked two batters and struck out a career-high 12 in the effort. Junior right-hander Matt Henning (Wichita, KS/Bishop Carroll) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to collect his fourth save of the season.
 
Yung and Illinois Springfield's Jose Marin were locked in a pitcher's duel over the first 5 2/3 innings until Marin gave way to Richard England, who worked out of a jam to end the top of the sixth inning. The scoreless tie stood until the top of the eighth, when the Bearcats punched across the only run of the contest.
 
Freshman infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) led off the frame with a single and moved to second after a sacrifice bunt by junior infielder Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington). Junior first baseman came up next and delivered a single to center field, but Johnson was thrown out at the plate trying to score. Walsh advanced to second base on the throw home and was replaced by sophomore outfielder Brendan Madden (St. Louis, MO/Vianney), who moved to third base on an error. Senior catcher Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) then hit a ball to the Prairie Stars' shortstop that was misplayed, enabling Madden to score with the only run of the nightcap.
 
After seven innings and 110 pitches, Yung gave way to senior left-hander Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County), who got the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Henning entered following a walk to UIS infielder Adam Warda and allowed a hit before getting a strikeout to end the Prairie Stars' threat. Illinois Springfield then put the potential tying and winning runs on base before Henning induced a game-ending double play ground ball to help preserve the shutout win.
 
In game one, McKendree took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning of the seven-inning contest. Fisher was hit by a pitch to start the inning and reached second base thanks to a single by Davault. Junior outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) then provided an RBI double to plate Fisher with the Bearcats' run.
 
Illinois Springfield (8-10, 2-2 GLVC) answered with five runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good at 5-1. The Prairie Stars added single tallies in the fourth and sixth innings for insurance. Davault had two of the Bearcats' six hits in the contest.