LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University baseball (5-13) captured a victory in the first game of the double-header against Grand Valley State on Sunday, March 20 but fell short of a series split in the four-game weekend. The Bearcats used two major innings to propel the win in the first outing of the day, which also snapped a six-game skid. McKendree will open up Great Lakes Valley Conference play in its next series against Drury in Springfield, Missouri. 

Game 1
McKendree, after putting away GVSU in the top of the first, fired five-straight extra-base hits and scored four runs in its opening offensive half inning. The lead-off hitter for the Bearcats was freshman infielder Gavin Arseneau, who blasted a homer to left field after the homerun, senior outfielder Ryan Hutchinson put a shot off the center field wall for a stand-up double. Senior infielder Alex Steinbach followed the double up with a left field blast to bring Hutchinson home and push the lead to 3-0. After the Steinbach homerun, senior outfielder Corey Price tacked on the third homerun of the day for the Bearcats and made the lead 4-0. Sophomore outfielder Joseph Copeland put in the fifth extra-base hit for McKendree with a deep shot off the wall to right center field, making it a stand-up double. The Bearcats led the game 4-0 after the first inning with the hot start.

The GVSU pitching staff put a muzzle on the Bearcats for the next three innings while the Laker offense spooled up, scoring three in the top of the second, three in the top of the third, and one in the fourth. The Lakers extended its lead to 7-4 over the Bearcats with a flurry of hits while McKendree stuggled to get baserunners during the stretch. 

McKendree went back to work in the bottom of the fifth with Steinbach reaching on lead-off on a hit-by-pitch. Price moved Steinbach over to third with a single through the middle which was followed by Costanzo walking to load the bases. Redshirt junior Austin Francis singled to bring in Price and Steinbach and cut the deficit to one run (7-6). The outing was tied up following a sac fly by graduate catcher Mason Hale, which brought in Costanzo (7-7) and advanced Francis to third base. Junior infielder Katom Parnell walked to put runners on the corners, who were both knocked in by the next batter, Arseneau, with a deep double to center field. With the freshman's double, the Bearcats took the lead by two runs, 9-7, after the inning. 

The Bearcats held on for the win in game three of the series behind a save by graduate pitcher Lucas Vallandingham. Sophomore hurler Mark Branz earned the win in the outing.

Game 2
GVSU struck first in the second game of the day with a bases-clearing triple by Schuman, taking the lead at 3-0.

 McKendree started off the second game in similar fashion with five runs in the bottom of the first with a Steinbach homerun to kick things off. It was followed up by a single by Price, who then scored on a double by Copeland, who ended on third after an advance on the throw. Copeland was driven in via a single by Costanzo, which tied the game at three runs a piece. Francis went to the plate after the tying run and homered to center field, taking the lead for McKendree, 5-3. 

The Bearcats added another run to their lead in the bottom of the second after Huthinson doubled to left and was driven in by a double by Price (6-3).

The Lakers came back with one run in the top of the fourth inning and then eight in the top of the fifth via a myriad of hits and walks. Grand Valley owned a 12-6 lead after its fifth inning.

McKendree scored its final two runs in the bottom of the sixth with an Arseneau homerun, which brough in Mohan as will after he reached via walk to lead off.

The Bearcats dropped the second game of the Sunday double-header matchup, 13-8.

UP NEXT
McKendree will head down to Springfield, Missouri for its #GLVCbase opener on March 25-27 for a four-game series with the Panthers. 

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