(JOPLIN, Mo., Feb. 15) – The McKendree University baseball team fell in its second game of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) crossover, 9-6 to Washburn Univerisity. The Bearcats are now 0-2 overall on the season.

McKendree opened the game with a run in the first inning to get on the board first. In the second at bat of the day, senior second baseman Bryce Emery (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg High School) tripled down the right field line. Junior outfielder Brent Timmons (Germantown, IL/Breese Central Community High School) was able to bring Emery home off of a single to the left side.

The Bearcats were able to increase their lead over Washburn to 4-0 with three runs in the second inning. Senior infielder Chance Foss (Wood River, IL/Roxana High School) homered to left center field bringing home junior outfielder Ryan Hutchinson (Sorento,IL/Greenville High School) and junior first baseman Jordan Richardson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Township High School), collecting three RBIs.

Washburn answered back with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third inning and then replicated the same scenario in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead over the Bearcats 6-4. The Ichabod were able to score one more run in the bottom of the fifth to spread its lead to 7-4.

McKendree was able to pick up two runs in the top of the eighth to pull within one of Washburn. Sophomore Hayden Schaefer (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Township High School) hit a single to right field to bring home sophomore infielder Joseph Costanzo (Kansas City, MO/Rockhurst High School) and Hutchinson. The Ichabod scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth cutting the Bearcats comeback efforts short as McKendree was not able to answer back in the ninth inning, falling to Washburn 9-6.

The Bearcats earned six RBI's, Foss led the team with three, Schaefer was next with two, and Timmons rounded out the efforts with one RBI. Hutchinson was also the lead scorer for McKendree, collecting two of the Bearcats six runs in the game.

Five Bearcats pitched for McKendree in the game. Sophomore Brenden Boles (Odin, IL/Salem High School) opened up action and threw 66 pitches for the Bearcats, collecting three strike outs and allowing just three runs. Sophomore Nick Beeler (Troy, IL/Triad High School) came to the mound next for McKendree, seeing 14 pitches. His time was short lived as junior Brandon Hampton (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial High School) took his place, throwing 33 pitches and tallying one strike out. Freshman Mark Branz (Milstadt, IL/Gibault Catholic High School) and senior Andrew Hoguet (Columbia, IL/Columbia High School) also threw pitches for McKendree, Branz for 30 pitches and Hoguet for 32.

McKendree will continue crossover competition with a game against Missouri Western State University tomorrow, Sunday, Feb, 16. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.