(ST. LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 25)—The McKendree University baseball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Maryville University. The Bearcats' game one rally came up short in a 13-7 setback before the Saints rolled to an 8-2 triumph in the nightcap.
McKendree moves to 1-6 on the season. The Bearcats will continue their season-opening, 11-game road trip next weekend with a four-game series at Quincy University. McKendree and Quincy will kick things off with a single game on Friday at 2 p.m.
On Sunday, junior shortstop Matt Klosterman paced McKendree from the leadoff spot with four more hits in the doubleheader, including three in the opener. Junior outfielder Levi Brening had a two-run homer and two-run double in game one and finished with four RBI. Sophomore outfielder Blake Gray provided three hits in the first contest, which including a two-run single that opened the Bearcats' scoring.
Junior infielder Lucas Diemeke provided a spark off the bench in game two for McKendree with two hits, including a solo homer in the seventh inning. Senior Collin Holton also collected a pair of hits in the nightcap.
Maryville (5-4) jumped out to a 4-0 lead before McKendree rallied with three runs in the top of the second inning of game one. Junior outfielder Corey Chambliss drew a one-out walk before junior infielder Drake Hampton singled. Two batters later, freshman catcher Connor McCormick worked a walk to load the bases. Gray stepped in next and ripped a two-run single to right field to score Chambliss and Hampton. With runners at the corners, the Bearcats executed a double steal, with McCormick taking home plate to bring McKendree within a run. The Saints answered by sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame to extend its lead to 10-3.
After Maryville added a run in the third to build an 11-3 advantage, McKendree plated a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Gray led off with an infield single before senior infielder Jeff Wetzler drew a one-out walk. Brening came to bat and laced a two-run double to right-center field to cut the Bearcats' deficit to 11-5. In his next at-bat in the seventh inning, Brening blasted a two-run home run to get McKendree even closer at 11-7. But the Saints put the game away with a pair of insurance tallies in the eighth inning.
Junior right-hander Noah Kraljev delivered a solid appearance out the bullpen in game one for McKendree. Kraljev pitched 5 2/3 innings, bridging the second through eighth innings for the Bearcats. He scattered five hits and fanned three batters.
In the nightcap, Maryville built a 4-0 lead before McKendree got into the scoring column in the top of the fourth inning. Junior infielder Adam Cox was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Cox moved to second on a single by Holton and scored on a two-out single by Klosterman. The Saints quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to stretch its margin to 7-1.
Diemeke came to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh inning and crushed a solo home run to left field to provide the Bearcats' final run of the day. He later singled to right field in the ninth inning for the final hit of the day for McKendree.
