(LEBANON, Ill., May 5)—The McKendree University baseball team collected its first doubleheader sweep of the 2018 season Saturday afternoon by winning twice against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday at Hypes Field. The Bearcats rolled to a 12-5 victory in the opener before holding off a late Ranger comeback in a 6-5 game two triumph.
McKendree moves to 10-36 on the year and is now 5-16 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Bearcats and Rangers will close out their respective seasons on Sunday in one more doubleheader beginning at noon. Sunday will also mark Senior Day for the McKendree baseball program, and four seniors will be honored in a special pre-game ceremony: outfielder Grant Anderson, pitcher Blake Thompson, infielder Jeff Wetzler and pitcher Nick Yung.
A trio of juniors did most of the offensive damage for McKendree in Saturday's sweep. Outfielder Drew Reich and first baseman Andrew Aydt each had five hits and six RBI on the day. Both players went 4-for-6 in game one with a home run and combined for five runs scored and seven RBI. Reich and Aydt also added key two-run doubles in a five-run sixth inning that put the Bearcats ahead for good in the nightcap. Junior outfielder Corey Chambliss contributed five hits on the day with a home run and four RBI in game one for the Bearcats.
Game one was scoreless until the top of the third inning, when Wisconsin-Parkside (5-30, 4-18 GLVC) plated a pair of runs to grab a 2-0 lead. McKendree wasted little time in responding, scoring four times in the bottom of the frame to seize a 4-2 advantage. Wetzler was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame before Chambliss drilled a line-drive over the left field fence for a two-run homer to tie the contest at 2-2. Two batters later, Reich reached on a single to right-center field before Aydt blasted the Bearcats' second two-run home run high over the tall fence in right field to push McKendree to a two-run advantage.
The Rangers rallied with a run in the top of the fourth to pull within 4-3 when McKendree put together another four-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth to stretch its lead to 8-3. All four runs came with two outs in the inning. McKendree loaded the bases when Reich ripped a two-run single to center field to give the Bearcats a three-run cushion. Two pitches later, Aydt delivered a two-run single to finish off the inning. The teams then traded runs in the fifth inning, with the Bearcats' tally coming on a run-scoring single off the bat of Chambliss.
Reich opened a three-run sixth inning for McKendree with a solo homer to left field to extend the Bearcats' lead to 10-4. McKendree's final two runs came on bases-loaded walks to Wetzler and Chambliss.
The 12 runs scored by McKendree in game one matched a season-high that was first reached back on Feb. 23 in a 12-3 victory at Maryville University.
Freshman right-hander Jacob Reinkemeyer pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief to earn the game one victory for McKendree. Reinkemeyer allowed just one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts.
UW-Parkside scratched out single runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead on McKendree. The Bearcats finally dented the scoreboard in the fifth inning, when Reich produced an RBI groundout to score Wetzler, who led off the frame with a double. McKendree trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning before erupting for five runs in the stanza to build a 6-2 advantage.
Junior infielder Adam Cox led off with a double. A single by junior infielder Matt Klosterman put runners at the corners before Klosterman stole second to move into scoring position. Wetzler then walked to load the bases. Two batters later, junior infielder Luke Johnson put together an eight-pitch at-bat, fouling off two pitches before drawing a walk to force home Cox with the tying run.
Reich broke the tie when he delivered a ground-rule double to right field that scored both Wetzler and Johnson to put the Bearcats in front at 4-2. Aydt stepped in next and laced a two-run double down the left-field line to stretch the McKendree lead to 6-2.
The Rangers put together a comeback bid in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three times with two outs in the frame to get with in a run. But junior right-hander Logan Zachry was able to induce a game-ending flyout to Anderson in right field to notch his second save of the season.
Freshman right-hander Andrew Yancik came within one out of a complete game for McKendree to pick up the win. Yancik allowed just five hits with four strikeouts to improve to 2-1 on the season.
