CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - McKendree University baseball (12-21, 7-8 GLVC) splits its Friday double-header with Maryville (20-16, 9-6 GLVC), dropping game one, 1-8, while earning a win in the second contest of the day, 8-5. The Bearcats pushed for the win in game two behind a pair of homers from redshirt junior infielder Austin Francis while graduate pitcher Andrew Yancik earned his third victory of the season. McKendree will look to split the four-game series in the finale on Saturday afternoon. 

GAME 1
McKendree struggled to produce at the plate in the first game of the day with its one and only run coming in the top of the first off of a double from senior outfielder Corey Price. Price drove in freshman infielder Gavin Arseneau, who reached base to lead off the game with a single up the middle. 

Following the one-run first inning, the Bearcats gave up eight unanswered runs to the hosting-Saints, beginning in the bottom of the second. McKendree dropped the first game of the day, 8-1, only collecting four hits over the seven-inning outing. 

GAME 2
The second contest of the day featured a more typical Bearcat battery with a 13-hit, eight run win with three bombs. The scoring kicked-off in the second for McKendree with a score on a balk, pushing Price to home plate. 

Francis then sent a solo shot over the fence in the fourth, making the game 2-0 in favor of the visiting-Bearcats. Junior outfielder Katom Parnell then singled on a bunt, which allowed graduate catcher Mason Hale to make it home and make it a 3-0 Bearcat lead. Arseneau then knocked a double into play and drove in Parnell. The final run of the fourth for McKendree came via a fielder's choice via sophomore outfielder Joseph Copeland, driving Arseneau home and putting the Bearcats up 5-0. 

Maryville put up its first run in the bottom of the fifth, but totaled four runs in the inning behind a one-run single and a three-run homer. Both the Bearcats and the Saints added a run in the sixth, making the game 6-5. 

McKendree tacked on two extra runs in the seventh via Francis' second home run of the game, which was then followed by Parnell's second homer of the series. 

The Bearcats held out with sophomore hurler Mark Branz collecting his third save of the spring while Yancik (3-3) earned his third victory in just under two innings of work. 

UP NEXT
McKendree baseball is back on the field on Saturday, April 16 in the fourth and final game of the series against Maryville with a 12 P.M. first pitch. 

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