(KIRKSVILLE, Mo., March 24)—The McKendree University baseball team collected its second consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference series victory on Sunday thanks to the Bearcats' 12-5 win at Truman State University.
 
The win enabled the Bearcats to take two of three games this weekend against the host Bulldogs. McKendree is now 9-13 on the year and climbs above the .500 mark in GLVC action at 6-5. The Bearcats will return to Hypes Field on Tuesday to host the University of Missouri-St. Louis in a nine-inning conference contest that will begin at 2 p.m. McKendree swept the Tritons in a doubleheader Wednesday in St. Louis.
 
On Sunday, McKendree trailed Truman State 3-2 when rain and lightning forced a weather delay in the bottom of the fifth inning. The delay sparked the Bearcats' offense as – after spotting the Bulldogs two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when play resumed – McKendree scored the final 10 runs of the contest. After taking a 6-5 lead in the seventh inning, the Bearcats broke the game wide open with a six-run eighth inning.
 
Five different Bearcats registered at least two hits in Sunday's win. Freshman Hayden Schaefer (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) and junior outfielder Jordan Richardson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) each posted three hits against Truman State. Schaefer also scored twice and drove in two runs. Senior outfielder Drew Reich (Charlestown, IN/Charlestown) added two hits – including a two-run homer in the eighth inning outburst – along with four runs batted in. Senior infielder Matt Klosterman (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) and junior infielder Bryce Emery (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg) also had two hits on Sunday at Truman State.
 
McKendree took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Emery was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a single by Schaefer and scored thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Reich. Truman State (2-17, 2-9 GLVC) scored two runs in the third inning and a single run in the fourth to build a 3-1 advantage.
 
In the top of the fifth, McKendree scratched out a run to pull within 3-2. With one out, senior infielder Adam Cox (Louisville, IL/North Clay) drew a walk and Klosterman reached on a Bulldogs' error. Emery then singled to load the bases before Schaefer worked a walk to force home Cox, getting the Bearcats within one. The teams then cleared the field for the weather delay after Truman State began its turn at-bat in the bottom of the fifth. When play resumed, Truman State scored a pair of runs to stretch their lead out to 5-2.
 
McKendree began its comeback by plating two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Senior infielder Andrew Aydt (Wildwood, MO/Eureka) and Richardson led off with consecutive singles before sophomore catcher Connor McCormick (Manteno, IL/Manteno) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Cox followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Aydt, and Klosterman added a run-scoring single that scored Richardson to trim the Bearcats' deficit to 5-4.
 
Schaefer opened the McKendree seventh with a single to left field. He then stole second base and moved to third on a throwing error. Schaefer later scored when Reich lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the contest at 5-5. Chambliss stepped up next and belted a solo home run over the left field fence to give the Bearcats the lead for good at 6-5.
 
McKendree then sent 10 batters to the plate during its six-run eighth inning that stretched the Bearcats' lead to 12-5. Cox was hit by a pitch and Klosterman followed with a single to open the outburst. Following a Truman State pitching change, Emery ripped a two-run double down the left field line to score Cox and Klosterman for an 8-5 advantage. Emery then reached third base on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Schaefer. Reich stepped in next and hit a two-run homer to push the lead to 11-5. Richardson capped the rally with an RBI double off the bat of Richardson.
 
Sophomore right-hander Andrew Yancik (Glen Carbon, IL/Edwardsville) came on in relief of freshman Ryan Vogt (Ava, IL/Trico) following the rain delay and picked up the mound victory for McKendree. Yancik allowed just one hit over four innings of work with one walk and three strikeouts. He collected his second victory in four days after leading the Bearcats to a 15-4 triumph in game one of Wednesday's twinbill at UMSL.