(LEBANON, Ill., March 16)—The McKendree University baseball team split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday at Hypes Field against the University of Indianapolis. The visiting Greyhounds notched a 7-4 win in the opener before the Bearcats registered a 2-1 victory in game two.
 
With the split, McKendree is now 5-11 overall and 2-3 in GLVC play. The Bearcats and Greyhounds will play the rubber game of their three-game weekend series Sunday, with first pitch set for noon.
 
McKendree earned its first walk-off victory of the season in the nightcap as senior outfielder Austin Werner (Hamel, IL/Edwardsville) raced home from third base on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
 
Junior right-hander Jared Timmerman (New Baden, IL/Wesclin)n registered a quality start in the nightcap for McKendree. Timmermann allowed one unearned run on just three hits in 7 1/3 innings of work, striking out four batters in the process. He threw just 90 pitches before giving way to junior right-hander Adam Bunnell (Salem, IL/Salem), who picked up the victory for the Bearcats.
 
Timmermann and Indianapolis starter Reid Werner were locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel heading into the bottom of the fourth inning of game two. In the frame, senior infielder Andrew Aydt (Wildwood, MO/Eureka) reached base on a one out single. Two batters later, senior infielder Drake Hampton (Godfrey, IL/Alton) ripped a double to left-center field, scoring Aydt with the first run of the contest to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. The Greyhounds were held scoreless until the top of the eighth inning, when they pushed across their unearned run to knot the contest at 1-1.
 
In the bottom of the ninth inning, senior infielder Adam Cox (Louisville, IL/North Clay) led off as a pinch-hitter and reached base on catcher's interference. Werner came on as a pinch-runner and moved to second base when Hampton dropped down a sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk to senior outfielder Corey Chambliss (St. Louis, MO/Oakville), both Werner and Chambliss moved up a base on a wild pitch. With two outs, junior Bryce Emery (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg) came to the plate and took a called strike. The next pitch bounced in the dirt and up the first-base line, allowing Werner to scamper home with the winning run that touched off a celebration for McKendree.
 
Indianapolis (9-7, 2-3 GLVC) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the opener before McKendree answered in the bottom of the second. Freshman Hayden Schaefer (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) led off with a double down the right-field line. Aydt later drew a walk before Schaefer and Aydt executed a double-steal to put runners in scoring position. Chambliss brought Schaefer home with an RBI groundout before Aydt gave the Bearcats a 2-1 advantage when he scored on a Greyhounds' error.
 
After UIndy scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings to take a 4-2, McKendree battled back to knot the score in the bottom of the seventh. Junior outfielder Jordan Richardson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) ripped his first home run as a Bearcat – a solo shot to center field – to lead off the frame to bring McKendree within a run. Junior Cal Kossina (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) followed with a single, and Hampton doubled to put runners at second and third with nobody out. After a UIndy pitching change, senior infielder Matt Klosterman (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Kossina home with the tying run to even things at 4-4.
 
However, the Greyhounds scored three times in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead for good. Senior right-hander Levi Brening (Coon Rapids, MN/DuQuoin) made the game one start for McKendree and allowed two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in four innings of work. Sophomore righty Lucas Vallandingham (Millstadt, IL/Belleville West) tossed the final two innings and was nicked for the loss.