(LIBERTY, Mo., March 10)—The McKendree University baseball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at William Jewell College. The Bearcats were edged 4-1 in the opener before the host Cardinals rallied in game two to finish off the sweep, 9-5.
The Bearcats move to 3-11 on the year and will make their home debut on Wednesday at home when Drury University comes to Hypes Field for a nine-inning contest. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
Junior outfielder Levi Brening continued to set the pace at the plate for McKendree as he collected three hits in the doubleheader. Junior infielder Matt Klosterman had a pair of hits in the opener, while senior Collin Holton scored twice in the second game for the Bearcats.
Brening drew the game one start on the mound and was locked in a pitcher's duel with William Jewell's Brendan Beatty. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Cardinals drew first blood in taking a 1-0 advantage. William Jewell added three insurance tallies in the seventh inning and took a 4-0 lead into the ninth inning.
Junior infielder Andrew Aydt broke up the shutout bid when he led off the ninth with a solo home run down the left field line. The Bearcats eventually loaded the bases but could not cash in as the Cardinals nailed down the final out to win the opener. Brening allowed four hits and one earned run over six innings in taking the loss for McKendree.
In the nightcap, William Jewell built a 3-0 lead with a run in the first inning and two more in the second. McKendree rallied with three runs in the top of the fourth to knot the contest at 3-3. Junior outfielder Corey Chambliss started the uprising with a one-out single. Junior infielder Lucas Diemeke was hit by a pitch and Holton drew a walk to load the bases. Klosterman delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Chambliss with the Bearcats' first run of the inning.
Two batters later, Brening came to the plate and posted a two-run single to bring home Diemeke and Holton with the tying runs. The Cardinals responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth to regain a 4-3 advantage.
McKendree took its first lead of the day with two runs in the top of the sixth inning to move in front at 5-4. Junior infielder Luke Johnson delivered an RBI double to plate Holton, who had worked a one-out walk. Johnson scored the go-ahead run on a William Jewell error.
The Cardinals then erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the lead for good. Senior right-hander Logan Zachry, the fourth of five McKendree pitchers in the contest, was nicked for the loss.
