(LEBANON, Ill., April 12)—The McKendree University baseball team was edged Tuesday afternoon in non-conference play at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 5-4.
The Tritons' Matt Foster delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to help give UMSL the win in walk-off fashion. McKendree slips to 12-20 on the year and will return to Hypes Field on Saturday to begin a Great Lakes Valley Conference weekend series against the University of Southern Indiana. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for noon.
Junior outfielder
Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw), who was 10-for-14 in the recently-completed weekend series against the University of Indianapolis, continued his hot hitting by going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs against Missouri-St. Louis. That included Anderson's eighth home run of the year, a solo shot in the second inning. Senior infielder
Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) also posted two hits against the Tritons along with a run batted in.
Junior right-hander
Matt Wasche (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) worked the first seven innings for the Bearcats, allowing one earned run on eight hits with three strikeouts.
Anderson staked McKendree to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when he belted his solo home run over the left field fence. The Bearcats increased their margin to 2-0 in the third with a two-out rally. Junior catcher
Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) doubled down the left field line, and Kunkel followed with an RBI single.
Missouri-St. Louis (21-10) got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull within 2-1. Junior outfielder
Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) helped McKendree regain a two-run advantage at 3-1 thanks to a two-out, run-scoring single that plated sophomore outfielder
Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy), who came on as a pinch-runner earlier in the frame. The Bearcats then used a sacrifice fly from Anderson in the top of the seventh to take its largest lead of the contest at 4-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Missouri-St. Louis scored twice to trim its deficit to 4-3. That score stood until the bottom of the ninth inning. The Tritons loaded the bases with one out against McKendree closer
Matt Henning (Wichita, KS/Bishop Carroll) before a force play at home plate recorded the second out of the inning. Foster stepped in next and produced his game-winning hit to give UMSL the come-from-behind victory.
