Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (LEBANON, Ill., April 29)—The McKendree University baseball team earned a doubleheader split in Great Lakes Valley Conference play Friday afternoon at Hypes Field against Lewis University. The visiting Flyers collected an 8-2 win in the opener before the Bearcats battled to a 1-0 win in game two.
 
The split gives McKendree a 14-28 overall record and 6-16 mark in GLVC play. The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Saturday in another conference twinbill, with first pitch set for noon. Following game one, the Bearcats will honor their six seniors -- Austin Avalos (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South), Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington), Kyle Jackson (Hoffman, IL/Carlyle), Adam Kunkel (Red Bud, IL/Red Bud), Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) and Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County) – in a special ceremony.
 
Sophomore right-hander Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg) tossed his first complete-game shutout of the season in game two, allowing just four hits with six strikeouts in his 114-pitch effort. He fanned the Flyers' Austin Mastela with the potential tying run at third base to end the contest. Yung improves to 4-3 with the win.
 
Freshman first baseman Joe LaCivita (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove South) provided all the offense Yung would need by driving in the Bearcats' lone run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior infielder Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) led off with a single, and moved to third thanks to wild pitches on back-to-back pitches. Two batters later, LaCivita drove a pitch into right field to bring home Fisher to give McKendree its 1-0 lead.
 
From there, Yung made the lead stand up. Lewis (23-18, 12-10 GLVC) put runners in scoring position in the fifth and seventh innings, but Yung was able to work out of each jam.
 
In the opener, the Flyers were able to build an 8-0 lead midway through the nine-inning affair. After scratching out a run in the third inning to jump in front, Lewis plated three runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to produce its eight-run advantage. McKendree got into the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior outfielder Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) led off the frame with a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error. A single by junior catcher Chris Deaville (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul) allowed Cates to reach third. Two batters later, freshman infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) delivered an RBI single to bring home Cates with the Bearcats' first run of the afternoon.
 
McKendree scored again in the eighth inning to account for the final margin as Deaville brought home junior first baseman Matt Walsh (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South) with a run-scoring single.
 
Sam Lidisky (Swansea, IL/Althoff Catholic) allowed five earned runs on 13 hits in four-plus innings in taking the loss on the mound for McKendree. Junior right-hander Matt Wasche (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) was solid in relief for the Bearcats, giving up just two singles over the final five innings and retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced.