(LEBANON, Ill., March 14)—The McKendree University baseball team overcame a four-run deficit Wednesday afternoon to post a 7-6, come-from-behind victory over Drury University in the Bearcats' first game at Hypes Field this season.
After playing their first 14 games on the road, the Bearcats erupted for three runs each in the fifth and seventh innings to overtake the Panthers for the win. McKendree improves to 4-11 overall and will host Missouri S&T Thursday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Junior infielder Matt Klosterman had three hits to lead the 12-hit attack for McKendree. Senior outfielder Collin Holton, junior infielder Adam Cox and junior first baseman Andrew Aydt each chipped in with two hits. Aydt hit the Bearcats' lone home run of the contest, while junior outfielder Levi Brening drove in a pair of runs in the effort for McKendree.
Drury (5-10) jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a single run in the second inning and three more in the top of the fifth inning. McKendree got on the scoreboard by plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Holton started the rally with a single to right field. Junior infielder Drake Hampton drew a walk before junior outfielder Drew Reich ripped a run-scoring to right-center field to bring home Holton with the Bearcats' first run of the day.
After Cox drew a walk to load the bases, Klosterman stepped in and delivered an RBI single to score Hampton. Brening capped the outburst with an RBI groundout that scored Reich to trim the Bearcats' deficit to 4-3.
The Panthers answered with two runs in the top of the sixth inning to regain a 6-3 advantage. Aydt led off the bottom of the sixth by belting the third pitch of the at-bat over the high fence in right field for his second home run of the year, getting the Bearcats back within 6-4.
Cox opened the McKendree half of the seventh inning with a double. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scampered home on an RBI single to center field by Brening to get the Bearcats within 6-5. Brening reached second base on an error and, following a Drury pitching change, came around to score on a run-scoring single by Aydt that knotted the score at 6-6. Holton later lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score pinch-runner Blake Gray with the go-ahead run.
Freshman right-hander Evan Spears, the last of McKendree's four pitchers in the contest, worked out of a jam in the eighth inning before retiring the side in order in the ninth to nail down his second save of the year. Freshman right-hander Jordan Kraljev allowed two unearned runs in his two innings of work to earn his first collegiate victory.
