(ST. CHARLES, Mo., April 24)—The McKendree University baseball team overcame an early seven-run deficit before host Lindenwood University rallied to grab a 14-9 win Wednesday night in St. Charles, Mo.
The Bearcats equaled a season-high by rapping out 13 hits against the Lions in the first meeting of the season between the two squads. McKendree will hit the road for the final time in 2019 this weekend when it travels to Kansas City for a three-game Great Lakes Valley Conference series at Rockhurst University. The Bearcats and Hawks will play a doubleheader on Saturday before closing the weekend with a single contest on Sunday.
Senior
Matt DeLaVega (Lincolnwood, IL/Niles West) led the offensive attack for McKendree with three hits, which included a two-run home run and two-run double as he drove in four against Lindenwood. Senior first baseman
Andrew Aydt (Wildwood, MO/Eureka) added two hits while scoring a pair of runs as senior infielder
Adam Cox (Louisville, IL/North Clay) and senior outfielder
Corey Chambliss (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) each contributed two hits for the Bearcats.
Lindenwood (23-20) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings before McKendree (9-33) mounted its comeback in the middle innings. The Bearcats dented the scoreboard with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Aydt started the uprising with an infield single before Chambliss singled to put runners at first and second. After a double play grounder, Aydt came home with McKendree's first run of the night on a run-scoring single off the bat of Cox. Freshman infielder
Joseph Costanzo (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst) was then hit by a pitch before DeLaVega laced a two-run double down the right field line to cap the rally.
With one out in the top of the fifth inning, junior infielder
Bryce Emery (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg) reached base with a one-out double. Two batters later, Chambliss singled up the middle to bring home Emery, cutting the Bearcats' deficit to 7-4. McKendree then batted around in the top of the sixth inning, scoring five times to take a 9-7 lead over Lindenwood.
Costanzo opened the sixth inning with a single to left field. Two pitches later, DeLaVega belted a two-run homer to center field to trim the Bearcats' deficit to 7-6. Senior infielder
Lucas Deimeke (Aviston, IL/Mater Dei) followed with a single and moved to third on a Lindenwood error. Deimeke raced home on a wild pitch later in the frame to knot the contest at 7-7. Aydt and junior outfielder
Jordan Richardson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) then provided RBI doubles to push McKendree out in front by two runs.
Lindenwood tied the game at 9-9 by plating two runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Lions then added two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to pull away for the win.
