(JOPLIN, Mo., Feb. 14) – The McKendree University baseball team dropped its 2020 season opening game to Missouri Southern State University 5-2 in Joplin, Mo., Friday afternoon in its first game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Challenge.

Missouri Southern got on the board first in the bottom of the third inning off of a solo homerun to left field. The Bearcats answered back in the top of the fourth with junior catcher Austin Francis (Dupo, IL/Dupo High School) crossing home plate. The Lions were able to score again in the bottom of the fifth inning but McKendree quickly answered back once more this time with senior second baseman Bryce Emery (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg High School) finding home plate for the Bearcats to tie the game up 1-1 at the top of the sixth inning. The Lions scrounged up three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that the Bearcats couldn't manage to overcome, falling to MSSU 5-2.

The Bearcats earned three hits in the game with Chance Foss (Wood River, IL/Roxana High School) recording the only hit that wasn't converted to a run, Francis and Emery earned the other two. Francis was also the lone Bearcat to collect a RBI in the game for McKendree.

McKendree recorded less strikeouts in the game than MSSU, the Bearcats with seven and the Lions with eight. Senior Jared Timmerman (New Baden, IL/Wesclin High School) collected all eight Lion strikeouts in the game in the first five innings while only allowing four hits and four runs and only four errors on 85 total pitches. Sophomore Evan Spears (Eureka, MO/Eureka High School) then entered the game for McKendree for an inning and then freshman Cade Berendt (Germantown, WI/Germantown High School) closed out the game for the Bearcats.

The Bearcats will continue competition at the GLVC / MIAA Crossover with an afternoon game tomorrow, Saturday, February 15. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.