(ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 5)—The McKendree University baseball team was edged Friday afternoon in the first game of a three-game series at Maryville University, 3-2.
 
The host Saints scratched out two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally past the Bearcats to earn the Great Lakes Valley Conference victory. McKendree is now 9-20 overall and 6-12 in the GLVC. The two teams will close out their weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday, with first pitch slated for noon.
 
Senior infielder Adam Cox (Louisville, IL/North Clay) led the Bearcats' offense with two hits, including a double. Freshman Hayden Schaefer (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) drove in a run and scored another for McKendree, while senior outfielder Drew Reich (Charlestown, IN/Charlestown) accounted for the Bearcats' other RBI against Maryville.
 
McKendree jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Cox started the uprising with a one-out double. Schaefer followed with a ground-rule double to left field to drive in Cox with the first run of the frame. Reich stepped in next and delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to bring home Schaefer to give the Bearcats a two-run advantage.
 
Maryville (15-15, 12-6 GLVC) cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the third to pull within 2-1. McKendree's one-run lead stood until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Saints put together their go-ahead rally with two runs to grab a 3-2 lead.
 
The Bearcts put together one final rally attempt in the top of the ninth. Senior infielder Drake Hampton (Godfrey, IL/Alton) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior infielder Andrew Aydt (Wildwood, MO/Eureka). Hampton reached third base on a flyout, but Maryville's Tanner Marshall registered the final out to pick up a three-inning save.
 
Junior right-hander Jared Timmerman (New Baden, IL/Wesclin)n turned in a quality start for McKendree. Over the first six innings, Timmermann allowed just one run on four hits with one strikeout.