ALTON, Ill. | Lloyd Hopkins Field - McKendree University baseball (6-8, 0-0 GLVC) closed-out its main non-conference slate last weekend, going 2-2 against Northern State with wins to start and end the series. The Bearcats played a tight series versus the Wolves, narrowly missing out on a second-straight series victory. McKendree begins it Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule this weekend, March 10-12, against Maryville with the series being moved to the Saints Weber Baseball Field in Chesterfield, Missouri.
Game 1 vs Northern State
The Bearcats went for another non-conference series victory in the final non-GLVC weekend of the season, hosting NSU. McKendree began its weekend in the second inning of game one, putting up a trio of runs after outfielder
Katom Parnell started with a double. The next four runners for McKendree reached via walk and hit-by-pitch as catcher
Tommy Mohan, infielder
Brett Freiberg, outfielder
Chyran Cruse, and infielder
Kyle Czarnecki each made it on. Cruse pushed Parnell across with his walk while Czarnecki advanced Mohan home. The final run of the inning for McKendree came via groundout by infielder
Noah Nelson, which allowed Freiberg to get around to home. Bearcats led 3-0 after two.
Northern State added its first run of the weekend in the top fo the third to cut the lead down to just a pair for McKendree. The Bearcats came back in their half of the third with another trio of runs with Mohan firing a double to bring home Parnell and Freiberg knocked another double, allowing infielder Nick Pomatto and Mohan to make it around to the plate. McKendree led 6-1 following the third inning.
Northern State managed two runs in the fifth while McKendree added its seventh run in the sixthas Cruse bombed a homer to left field.
The Bearcats held off the Wolves for the game one victory as Owne Gross got the win on the mound with 6.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts.
McKendree got four extra-base knocks with seven total hits.
Game 2 vs Northern State
McKendree looked for a 2-0 series lead in the second Saturday outing but met a quick-scoring NSU team. Northern added a run in the first while leading 4-1 after the fourth inning.
McKendree originally scored in the third with a Nelson single while Czarnecki scored. Infielder
Michael Paule blasted a homer in the eighth to cut into the deficit for the Bearcats while Parnell crossed home via passed ball later in the inning. McKendree trailed 4-3 following the eighth.
Northern State tacked on two more runs during its top-half of the final inning, making it a 6-3 game. McKendree pushed in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two with a Paule double, which brought in Czarnecki and Cruse.
McKendree could not overcome the three-run deficit, dropping game two, 6-5.
Game 3 vs Northern State
Sunday opened a new opportunity for McKendree to take the series with a second day sweep. The third game of the weekend was opened in the first by the Bearcats with a Nelson single with Czaernecki scoring after he reached via hit-by-pitch. Northern State leveled the game in the second with a run-scoring double to make it 1-1 after two innings.
The Wolves then put up one more on the Bearcats in the third inning while scoring their third to put McKendree at a two-run deficit. McKendree was unable to come back in this short-scoring contest.
McKendree pitching combined for nine strikeouts in the seven-inning game as
Brandon Matthews,
Luke Aubuchon, and
Carson Richardson all owned at least one over the outing.
Game 4 vs Northern State
Game four of the weekend featured ample more scoring by the Bearcats with eight runs, which allowed McKendree to split the non-conference weekend.
NSU scored first in the third with a single run but McKendree took the lead and ran with it for the remainder of the game. The Bearcats put up two in the fourth with utility
Joey Kossina knocking a double to score Czarnecki while a sac fly by Parnell allowed Nelson to reach home. Bearcats led 2-1 after the fourth.
Nelson then tallied two RBIs with a double, getting Cruse and Freiberg both across home plate. Following the fifith inning, McKendree led 4-1 over the Wolves.
McKendree added four more insurance scores between the sixth and eighth innings as Pomatto fired a triple in the sixth, driving home Parnell and Kossina. Pomatto proved to be a driving factor again with a double in the eighth, getting Kossina home again. Freiberg was the final run of the game, scoring on an eighth inning wild pitch.
Ryan Drayer got the win on the mound for the Bearcats, throwing six innings with eight strikeouts, improving to 2-1 on the year.
WEEKEND SERIES (updated)
March 10 | Doubleheader | Game 1 | 7 innings | 1PM @ Maryville | Weber Baseball Field | Chesterfield, Missouri
March 10 | Doubleheader | Game 2 | 7 innings | 4PM @ Maryville | Weber Baseball Field | Chesterfield, Missouri
March 11 | Game 3 | 9 innings | 12PM @ Maryville | Weber Baseball Field | Chesterfield, Missouri
March 12 | Game 4 | 9 innings | 1PM @ Maryville | Weber Baseball Field | Chesterfield, Missouri
