BOLIVAR, Mo. - McKendree University baseball  (14-23, 9-9 GLVC) grabbed a pair of victories to start its weekend at Southwest Baptist (7-32, 2-15 GLVC), winning the 9 inning-7 inning double header on 16-4 and 8-2 counts. The Bearcats collected 22 runs in the pair of victories and snapped a two-game losing streak with the wins. McKendree will be back on the field for the series finale double-header at SBU on Saturday, April 23, beginning at 1 P.M.

GAME 1
McKendree went down 1-0 to the host, SBU, in the first inning but struck back swiftly with three runs in the top of the second behind a double by sophomore outfielder Joseph Copeland, which drove in senior outfielder Corey Price. Redshirt junior infielder Austin Francis then put the game in the Bearcats' control, 3-1, with a bomb to left center, which brought both himself and Copeland around to home. 

The fourth inning proved to be the most fruitful for the Bearcats as they scored eight runs, which kicked off with a score off a hit-by-pitch walk for junior outfielder Katom Parnell and brought senior infielder Joseph Costanzo home. Freshman infielder Gavin Arseneau grounded out to second but Franics manged to get home on the paly, expending the lead to 5-1. Senior outfielder Ryan Hutchinson, Price, Costanzo, and Francis all knocked in runs through hits in the inning after Arseneau's RBI-ground out, putting up six more runs to put McKendree ahead 11-1. 

The fifth led to a homer by both teams with Arseneau blasting one to left field before SBU added its second run of the game via its owns home run. McKendree then added another run via homer in the sixth with Costanzo knocking one out down the left field line. SBU managed two more runs in the inning, making the game 13-4. 

The Bearcats then tacked on three more runs, all unearned, in the seventh, going up and winning 16-4. 

Junior Garrett Herring got the victory in game one of the series, going 5.0 innings with five strikeouts.

GAME 2
The visiting-Bearcats wasted no time in game two of the day and weekend, putting up four runs in the first three innings behind an RBI-single from Hutchinson in the first, which scored Arseneau. In the second inning, sophomore catcher Tommy Mohan sent a shot over the right field wall, making the game 2-0, McKendree. The thrid inning put McKendree up 4-0 behind another deep shot by senior infielder Alex Steinbach, which also drove in Hutchinson. 

SBU then put up a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to split the visiting Bearcats' lead, 4-2. McKendree then added four total runs in the sixth and seventh with three RBI-hits by Copeland, Arseneau, and Hutchinson while Price sent a sac fly to score Hutchinson. 

Devin Radke earned the victory with 4.0 innings tossed and three strikeouts. 

UP NEXT
McKendree will be back on the field on Saturday, April 23 for the final two games of the series in Bolivar, Missouri. 

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