(EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 15)—The McKendree University baseball team closed out its four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference weekend series Saturday afternoon at the University of Southern Indiana by falling in both ends of a doubleheader at USI Baseball Field. The Bearcats were edged by the Screaming Eagles in the opener 4-1 before USI completed the weekend sweep with a 7-3 win in game two.
 
McKendree moves to 11-25 on the year and 1-15 in conference action. The Bearcats return to Hypes Field Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference game against the University of Missouri-St. Louis. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Southern Indiana, which had the lowest earned-run average among all GLVC teams entering the weekend, allowed just one earned run in the 16 innings played on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles also limited the Bearcats to four hits in each contest.
 
Game one was scoreless until the third inning, when USI scored twice for a 2-0 lead. The Screaming Eagles tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning and took a 4-0 advantage into the top of the seventh inning. McKendree plated its lone run of the contest in its final at-bat. Junior catcher Matt DeLaVega (Lincolnwood, IL/Niles West) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a ground out. Junior outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) broke up the USI shutout bid with a two-out single to right field that brought DeLaVega home with the Bearcats' tally. Sophomore infielder Luke Johnson (Barrington, IL/Barrington) accounted for two of the Bearcats' four hits in the opener.
 
Senior right-hander Terry Deaville (Rantoul, IL/Rantoul) registered his second complete game of the season in taking the loss for McKendree. In six innings of work, Deaville gave up three earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Deaville did not walk a batter in the 75-pitch effort.
 
In the nightcap, Southern Indiana sandwiched single runs in the second, third and sixth innings around a four-run outburst in the fourth inning. Just like in game one, McKendree did not score until its final trip to the plate. Sophomore catcher Daniel Thorson (Hoyleton, IL/Nashville) led off the inning with a pinch-hit single, and senior infielder Matt Walsh (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South) was hit by a pitch. Senior outfielder Colton Calhoun (Mt. Zion, IL/Mt. Zion) stepped in next and was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. Thorson and Walsh put the Bearcats on the scoreboard when they scored on a Screaming Eagles' error. Freshman outfielder Blake Gray (Niceville, FL/Niceville) capped the rally for McKendree when he lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Calhoun.

Senior right-hander Ryan Cates (Anderson, IN/Yorktown) was charged with his first loss of the season in game two. Cates allowed six unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.