(LEBANON, Ill., April 8)—The McKendree University baseball team collected a doubleheader split Friday afternoon at Hypes Field against the University of Indianapolis, dropping the opener 7-5 before earning a walk-off 4-3 victory in game two.
 
With the split against Indianapolis – which entered Friday's action atop the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division standings – the Bearcats move to 11-8 overall and 3-7 in league play. McKendree and Indianapolis will wrap up their four-game weekend series with another twinbill in Lebanon on Saturday, with first pitch slated for noon.
 
Junior outfielder Grant Anderson (Mackinaw, IL/Deer Creek-Mackinaw) had a productive day at the plate for McKendree, posting four hits – two in each game – while scoring four times and driving in three runs. Junior infielder Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) added three hits, while junior infielder Tyson Boehne (Carlyle, IL/Carlyle) chipped in with a pair of hits in game two. Boehne also scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh of the nightcap when senior catcher Connor Davault (Farmington, MO/Farmington) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
Boehne started the game-winning rally in the Bearcats' final at-bat when he singled up the middle in the bottom of the seventh. After sophomore outfielder Brendan Madden (St. Louis, MO/Vianney) was hit by a pitch, freshman infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) legged out a slow bouncer to shortstop for an infield single to load the bases. Three batters later, Davault battled his way to a 2-2 count before he was hit by the final pitch of the contest to score Boehne with the winning run.
 
Indianapolis (20-8, 7-3 GLVC) and McKendree traded sacrifice flies in the second inning of the contest, with junior outfielder Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) providing the Bearcats' RBI in the frame. After the Greyhounds scratched out a run in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 advantage, McKendree answered quickly with a run in the bottom of the inning to pull even at 2-2. Madden opened the frame when he reached on an error and reached second base on a sacrifice bunt by Johnson. Madden moved to third when Fisher collected an infield single and scored on a balk/
 
The Bearcats grabbed their first lead of the contest at 3-2 with a run in the fourth inning. Anderson led off with a single, moved to second thanks to a sacrifice bunt by junior catcher Chris Deaville (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul) and came around to score when Boehne lifted an RBI single to left field. Indianapolis knotted the contest at 3-3 with a tally in the top of the fifth to set up the McKendree heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Senior left-hander Josh Tonozzi (Mark, IL/Putnam County) allowed six hits over six innings of work with three earned runs, a walk and three strikeouts. Junior right-hander Matt Henning (Wichita, KS/Bishop Carroll) nabbed his second win of the season by pitching a scoreless seventh inning for the Bearcats.
 
In the opener, Indianapolis jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Anderson cut the Bearcats' deficit in half at 2-1 with a leadoff home run over the scoreboard in right field in the bottom of the second. The Greyhounds added a run in the top of the third to extend its margin to 3-1 before McKendree responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to pick up their first lead of the day at 4-3. Fisher began the rally with a single to left field before junior first baseman Keith Rogers (Marshall, IL/Marshall) added a one-out single. Anderson stepped in next and belted a two-run triple to deep center field to knot the contest at 3-3.
 
Deaville capped the outburst with a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Anderson with the go-ahead run. The lead was short-lived as Indianapolis plated three runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 6-4 advantage. The Bearcats scratched out a run in the bottom of the fourth when junior outfielder Colton Calhoun (Mt. Zion, IL/Mt. Zion) ripped a leadoff double down the left-field line and scored on an RBI single by Fisher. The Greyhounds added an insurance tally in the sixth to close out the scoring in the contest.
 
Cates drew the game one start and picked up the loss for McKendree. Cates scattered 12 hits and six earned runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts.