LEBANON, Ill. – The Bearcats hosted the Drury University Panthers for a four-game series at Hypes Field on Friday, April 5th and Saturday, April 6th. McKendree took game one in dramatic fashion by the score of 15-9 before falling in the final three games of the series by the scores of 8-7, 7-5 and 12-6.
Game 1 –April 5th
The first five and a half innings of the weekend, everything was going Drury's way as they built a 9-0 lead and their starting pitcher had only allowed one hit.
As the game moved to the bottom of the 6th, the Bearcat offense went to work and in a big way. Their first run of the inning came via a passed ball which let Harrison Toone score. With the bases loaded, McKendree strung together five hits to cut the deficit to 9-6 before forcing Drury to go to their bullpen. A Joey Kossina singled through the right side made it a 9-7 game. The Bearcats tied it up on a crazy play. After Michael Paule struck out swinging, he reached first safely on a passed ball and then advanced to second on the throw home. Toone and Kossina proceeded to score on the same player with the Drury pitcher uncorking an errant throw into the infield grass. A Brandon Roth bases loaded walk gave McKendree the 10-9 lead and Kyle Czarnecki made it 11-9 with his RBI single through the left side to score Noah Nelson.
Paule extended the McKendree lead to 13-9 with his two-run home run to left field that also scored Toone. The Bearcats made it a 15-9 game in the bottom of the 8th inning as Chryan Cruse reached on an error by the 3rd baseman that allowed Czarnecki to score. The next batter, Toone singled to left field that scored Brody Macak to cap the scoring.
Derek Galdoni picked up the win in relief going three innings, only allowing 2 hits, 2 runs, while striking out 4.
Game 2 – April 5th
The nightcap in Friday's doubleheader saw the Panthers jump out to another big lead in the top of the 1st aided by two home runs, one being a grand slam to make it 7-0. In the bottom of the 4th, a Noah Nelson RBI groundout got the Bearcats on the board.
An inning later, Drury extended the lead back to seven runs on an RBI single. As the 5th inning flipped over, Cruse singled down the left field line with the bases loaded to score Macak and Roth. Two batters later, Kossina reached on a fielder's choice that scored Peyton Bittle which made it an 8-4 game. Nelson made it 8-5 with his second RBI groundout of the contest.
Down two runs going into the bottom of the 7th, the Bearcats began the inning with three consecutive hits that led to an infield RBI single by Czarnecki. After a Drury call to the bullpen, McKendree got it to within 8-7 on a Kaid Muth sacrifice fly.
Game 3 – April 6th
The first game on Saturday and game three of the series, saw the Panthers put up two runs in the top of the 1st and another run in the top of the 3rd to make it a 3-0 game. In the bottom of the 3rd, Czarnecki homered to left field and Muth doubled to right center that scored Nelson to make it a 3-2 contest.
The Panthers extended the lead back out to 7-2 with runs in the 5th and 7th innings. Kossina made it a 7-3 game with a solo home run to right field. With McKendree threatening for more runs, Drury went to their bullpen for the 2nd time in the inning. The new reliever allowed Macak to single down the left field line with the bases load to make it 7-4. Jason Cousineau drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 7-5.
Game 4 – April 6th
The final game of the weekend between the Bearcats and Panthers saw Drury score three runs on only one hit to open the game in the top of the 1st. McKendree got a run back in the bottom half of the inning as Roth reached on a fielder's choice to score Macak.
Drury added six runs between the third and fourth innings. The Bearcats scored three runs of their own on three separate RBI singles to make it a 9-4 game. A three-run home run by Drury in the top of the 6th stretched the lead out to 12-4. In the bottom of the 7th, McKendree scored two runs to cap the scoring on a passed ball and a Tooner RBI single.
Next weekend, McKendree hits the road as they travel to Liberty, Missouri for a four-game series with the William Jewell College Cardinals with first pitch of game 1 scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on April 12th.
