EVANSVILLE, Ind. | USI Baseball Field - McKendree University baseball (17-27, 10-18 GLVC) dropped its midweek contest against newly NCAA Division I and old Great Lakes Valley Conference-rival Southern Indiana on Tuesday night, falling 17-7. The Bearcats came out with a strong first half inning but struggled to keep the Screaming Eagles off the bases throughout the game. McKendree will have a bye week this upcoming weekend before heading off to Kirksville, Missouri for its final regular season series at Truman State on May 5-8.
The Bearcats kicked-off the game well with a trio of runs in the top of the first inning as the first three batter reached base. Utility
Joey Kossina, outfielder
Katom Parnell, and infielder
Noah Nelson loaded the bases with on Kossina reaching via error while Parnell and Nelson each made it via walk. Catcher
Kyle Czarnecki drove home the first run with a sac fly to center with Kossina reaching home. Following the sac fly, infielder
Michael Paule doubled to left center, driving in Nelson and Parnell. McKendree led 3-0 after the top half of the opening inning.
Southern Indiana battled back with six unanswered runs, owning a 6-3 lead at the conclusion of the second. The Bearcats cut the deficit to two runs, 6-4, behind a booming solo home run by Nelson in the third. Both McKendree and USI responded with two runs in the following at-bats, making the contest 10-7 in favor of the Eagles.
Southern Indiana went on a tear in thye sixth and seventh, firing off seven runs in total to take the game via run-rule.
Paule led with three on-base appearances and two RBIs while Nelson scored three times.
Brandon Matthews took the loss on the mound for the Bearcats.
UP NEXT
McKendree heads to Kirksville, Missouri for its finale GLVC series on May 5-8, taking on Truman State and vying for its first berth into the GLVC's postseason tournament.
