(LEBANON, Ill., April 24)—The McKendree University baseball team dropped a pair of games on Sunday at Saint Joseph's College, with both contests ending by scores of 3-2.
 
The Bearcats are now 13-27 overall and 5-15 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. McKendree will step out of conference on Wednesday to play host to Maryville University at 2 p.m. This game has been rescheduled twice due to rainouts on April 6 and April 20.
 
On Sunday, McKendree received a pair of quality starts on the mound at Saint Joseph's. Junior right-hander Matt Henning (Wichita, KS/Bishop Carroll) (pictured above), who was making his first start of the 2016 in game one, tossed five innings of six-hit ball in taking the loss. Henning allowed two earned runs with one walk and four strikeouts. Senior left-hander Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) followed in the nightcap with six strong innings against the Pumas. Lidisky scattered seven hits while giving up two runs with one walk and four strikeouts.
 
In game one, Saint Joseph's (24-18, 12-8 GLVC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the bottom of the second inning. McKendree countered with a tally in the top of the fourth to chop its deficit in half. Junior outfielder Jay Roberts (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) singled up the middle to open the frame. Sophomore outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) followed with a single, and both runners moved up a base thanks to a sacrifice bunt by junior catcher Chris Deaville (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul). Senior infielder Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud) stepped in next and groundout out short, driving home Roberts to bring the Bearcats within 2-1.
 
The Pumas regained a two-run advantage at 3-1 in the fifth when McKendree looked to put together a rally in the top of the seventh of the seven-inning contest. Kunkel led off with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. He reached third on a groundout and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington). The Bearcats did get the potential game-tying run to second base in the top of the seventh, but Saint Joseph's was able to shut the door to preserve the win.
 
Game two began in nearly the same fashion as the first as Saint Joseph's plated two runs in the bottom of the second to build a 2-0 lead. The score stood until the top of the eighth, when McKendree scored twice to tie the contest. Freshman infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) walked with one out and Kunkel followed with an infield single. Junior Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) was then safe on a Pumas' error to load the bases. Johnson scored the Bearcats' first run on a wild pitch, and Davault scuttled home when Davault reached on an error to knot the game at 2-2.
 
Saint Joseph's answered in the bottom of the eighth with a one-out, solo home run by Martin Napleton. That proved to be the margin of victory as McKendree stranded the tying run at first base in the top of the ninth.