SEARCY, Ark. – The McKendree baseball team opened their 2025 campaign in Searcy, Arkansas taking on the Harding University Bison in a four-game series over the weekend. HU got the better of the Bearcats in all four games by the scores of 14-2, 13-7, 6-2 and 12-2.
Game 1 – Friday, February 7th
Trey Cole got the ball in the opening game of the season for Coach Tim Gurnow's squad. The Bison jumped out to an 11-0 lead through the first 4 innings. In the top of the 5th, Jason Cousineau reached based on an error by the second baseman to open the inning. Harrison Toone legged out an RBI triple to left center field that brough Cousineau around to score. The next batter, Gavin Noreus used an effective ground ball out to score Toone which made it 11-2 HU. The Bison added three runs in the fifth and the run rule was in effect to end the game in seven innings.
Game 2 – Saturday, February 8th
McKendree led off the game with back-to-back singles by Noreus and Peyton Bittle. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Sage McMinn singled through the right side to bring home Bittle and Noreus which gave McKendree the 2-0 lead. McKendree extended their lead out to 4-0 in the top of the 2nd taking advantage of two errors by the home team. Noreus hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Toone. Bittle reached on a fielders' choice as Tyler Butash scored on a throwing error by the first baseman.
Over the next four innings, Harding scored 12 unanswered runs to make it a 12-4 game. In the top of the 7th, after an error and a walk, Kaid Muth cranked the first home run of the season for the Bearcats with a 3-run blast down the left field line to make it a 12-7 contest. Harding rounded out the scoring with a run in the bottom of the 8th.
Game 3 – Saturday, February 8th
In the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, the Bearcats opened the scoring with an Isaiah Hoelscher RBI single to center field with the bases loaded and one out. Harding tied the game at one by taking advantage of a McKendree error and wild pitch. In the third and fourth innings, HU added five runs to make it a 6-1 contest. With two outs in the top of the 7th, Peyton Bittle hit his first career home run down the left field line to round out the scoring.
Game 4 – Sunday, February 9th
Sage McMinn opened the scoring in the final game of the weekend with a solo blast to right center field. Harding responded in the bottom half of the inning with a grand slam down the left field line. The Bison added a run in each of the next four innings to extend their lead out to 8-1. With two outs in the top of the 7th, Bittle singled up the middle to score Hunter Sherman. Harding ended the game with the run rule by scoring four runs in the bottom of the 7th.
McKendree will hit the road next weekend for a three-game series in Owensboro, Kentucky against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers.
