The McKendree University baseball team split its double header against the Rockhurst Hawks on Thursday. 

Game one ended in an 8-1 defeat. Game two would see the Bearcats bounce back and take the victory 5-4, bringing McKendree's record on the year to 5-3.
 
Game One
 
Game one of the doubleheader saw McKendree fall behind 4-0 after giving up two runs each in the third and fourth inning. Sophomore Jayton Cromer (Lebanon, MO/Lebanon) brought home Junior JD Kehoe in the fifth inning to record the only run of the game for the Bearcats.

Junior Garrett Herring (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Township) started the game on the mound for the Bearcats and recorded five punchouts.
 
Inside the Box Score

• The Bearcats would record six hits and leave five runners stranded.

 
 
Game Two
 
Game two saw the Bearcats bats come alive.  In the second inning,  McKendree put four runs on the board. Senior Ryan Hutchinson (Sorento, IL/Greenville) got McKendree going with an RBI single that brought home graduate student Jordan Richardson (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Township). Later in the inning, graduate student Bryce Emery (Harrisburg, IL/Harrisburg) would drive in another run and sophomore Joseph Copeland (Glen Carbon, IL/Edwardsville) would drive in the final two runs off a double down the left field line.

Rockhurst would close the gap to one run in the seventh inning but Copeland would drive in an insurance run to give the Bearcats some breathing room.

On the bump for the Bearcats was graduate student Jared Timmerman (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) making his first start of the year. In four innings, Timmerman gave up for hits while facing 17 batters to pick up the win.

Inside the Box Score

-The Bearcats recorded nine hits and stranded five runners on base.
- Seven Bearcats would record a hit in game two of the double header.
 
Up Next

McKendree returns to action when they continue their series against the Hawks tomorrow, March 12^th with first pitched slated for 6 p.m.