(OZARK, Mo., Feb. 24)—The McKendree University baseball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader on the road Friday against Drury University. The host Panthers registered a 14-2 victory in the first game before taking the nightcap by a 9-1 margin.
 
The Bearcats move to 1-4 on the season with Friday's losses. McKendree and Drury will play game three of a four-game weekend set Saturday afternoon at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Mo. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
 
Senior infielder Cody Hall (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg), junior infielder Jeff Wetzler (Newburgh, IN/Castle) and freshman infielder Colman LaRoche (Indian Harbour Beach, FL/Melbourne Central Catholic) each collected a hit in both games of Friday's twinbill for McKendree. LaRoche and sophomore infielder Andrew Aydt (Wildwood, MO/Eureka) each drove in a run on the day for the Bearcats.
 
In the opener, Drury jumped out to a 3-0 lead by scoring a run in the second inning and two more in the third. The Panthers broke the contest open thanks to a five-run fourth inning to build an 8-0 advantage. That score stood until the top of the seventh inning, when McKendree scored twice to trim its deficit to 8-2. Aydt began the frame with a walk before Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) delivered a double to right-center field, putting two runners in scoring position. LaRoche came up next as a pinch-hitter and produced an RBI single to center field to score Aydt. Cates later scored on a double play grounder to bring the Bearcats within six runs.
 
Drury added to its lead by scoring four times in the bottom of the seventh and twice in the eighth to cap the scoring in game one. The Panthers rapped out 16 hits in the contest and took advantage of four McKendree errors in the field.
 
Sophomore right-hander Brian Christianson (Mokena, IL/Lincoln-Way East) was the first of four McKendree pitchers in game one and was credited with the loss. Christianson was nicked for one earned run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
 
Drury scored five runs in the bottom fhe first inning of game two to take an early 5-0 lead. The Panthers tacked on another run in the second for a 6-0 advantage before McKendree pushed across its lone run of the nightcap. In the top of the fourth inning, junior outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on a ground out. Aydt came to the plate and laced an RBI single up the middle to score Groleau to bring the Bearcats within 6-1. Drury was able to seal the game two victory by plating a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and two more in the fifth to account for the final margin.
 
Sophomore left-hander Brandon Tatum (Vero Beach, FL/Vero Beach) allowed five earned runs on two hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts in taking the loss in the second contest for McKendree.