(LEBANON, Ill., April 23)—The McKendree University baseball team was defeated twice on Sunday at Hypes Field in the opening of a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference series by Saint Joseph's College. The visiting Pumas registered an 8-3 win in the opener before pulling away late in the nightcap for a 9-4 triumph.
 
The Bearcats move to 12-27 overall and 1-17 in GLVC play following Sunday's action. McKendree and Saint Joseph's will close out their weather-delayed weekend series with two more games at Hypes Field on Monday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
 
Junior outfielder Brad Groleau (Peru, IL/St. Bede Academy) led McKendree offensively with four hits against Saint Joseph's, with two coming in each contest. Three of Groleau's four hits went for extra bases – a pair of doubles to go along with a two-run home run in the nightcap. Junior catcher Matt DeLaVega (Lincolnwood, IL/Niles West) also had four hits on the day for McKendree, with three coming in the opener. Senior infielder Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) chipped in with three hits in the twinbill for the Bearcats.
 
Saint Joseph's (27-13, 9-9 GLVC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in game one with a run in the first inning, five more in the fifth and another tally in the top of the sixth. McKendree responded by plating its three runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 6-3. Senior outfielder Jay Roberts (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) opened things with a double to the gap in left-center field. Junior outfielder Hayden Bodine (Washington, IL/Washington) stepped in next and ripped a scorching one-hopper off the Pumas' first baseman for a single, allowing Roberts to score with the Bearcats' first run of the afternoon.
 
Bodine reached third base following a Saint Joseph's error before scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior infielder Jeff Wetzler (Newburgh, IN/Castle). DeLaVega capped the three-run outburst for McKendree with an RBI single to left field. The Pumas tacked on a run in the eighth inning to close out the scoring in game one.
 
Senior left-hander Brad Henry (Godfrey, IL/Alton) was nicked for the game one loss, giving up five earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work.
 
After a scoreless first inning in the nightcap, Saint Joseph's scored single runs in the second, third and fourth innings to build a 3-0 lead. McKendree pulled within 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to Groleau's two-run home run. Fisher started the inning with a double to left-center field. Two batters later, Groleau ripped a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for his team-leading sixth home run of the year to bring the Bearcats within a single run.
 
Saint Joseph's broke the game open with five runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend its margin to 8-2. McKendree countered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Fisher lifted a single to left-center field to begin the frame and came around to score on an RBI double off the bat of DeLaVega. Groleau then delivered a run-scoring double off the left field fence that scored DeLaVega to trim the Bearcats' deficit to 8-4. Saint Joseph's added an insurance run in the seventh inning to complete the scoring on the day.
 
Junior right-hander Nick Yung (Smithton, IL/Freeburg) scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run over four innings of work in the game two start for McKendree. Yung struck out four batters in taking the loss on the mound for the Bearcats.