(LEBANON, Ill., March 8)—The McKendree University baseball team saw its three-game win streak come to an end Tuesday afternoon with an 11-6 loss at Hypes Field against Harris-Stowe State University.
 
The Bearcats overcame a five-run, first-inning deficit to pull even in the fourth inning. But the visiting Hornets homered on consecutive pitches in the fifth inning to take the lead for good in the non-conference contest. McKendree slips to 3-8 on the year and will host William Jewell College Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
 
Junior first baseman Keith Rogers (Marshall, IL/Marshall) had three of the Bearcats' nine hits in the contest, while junior infielder Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) added two hits and an RBI. Junior infielder Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) drove in a pair of runs for the Bearcats.
 
Harris-Stowe (7-10) scored five times in the first inning to pull out to a 5-0 advantage. McKendree began to chip away at the deficit by posting two runs in the second inning. Rogers opened the frame with a single. He then stole second base and moved to third on a balk. With two outs, Fisher hit a routine ground ball to shortstop that he legged out for an infield single to score Rogers with the Bearcats' first run of the day. After junior catcher Terry Deaville (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul) was hit by a pitch, Kunkel doubled to left-center field to plate Fisher.
 
McKendree added two more runs in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-out rally to pull within 5-4. Rogers started things with a double before junior first baseman Matt Walsh (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South) drew a walk. Junior outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and bring Fisher to the plate. Fisher then hit a bounced that skipped past the Hornets' shortstop for an error to score Rogers and Walsh.
 
In the fourth inning, Kunkel led off with a single and advanced to second on a balk. Freshman infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) then brought Kunkel home with a run-scoring single to knot the contest at 5-5.
     
The lead was short-lived as Harris-Stowe's Andres Alburjas and Gasberth Pacheco hit home runs on back-to-back pitches in the top of the fifth to pull in front for good at 7-5. McKendree scratched back in the bottom of the fifth by plating a run to get within 7-6. Walsh singled and Anderson doubled to put runners in scoring position. Fisher then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Walsh with what proved to be the final run of the day for McKendree.
 
The Hornets then put the contest away with a run in the seventh inning and three more in the eighth. Junior right-hander Matt Wasche (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) made his first career start at Hypes Field for McKendree and was charged with the loss. In five innings of work, Wasche allowed six earned runs on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.