LEBANON, Ill. – The Bearcats returned home for a series with the Upper Iowa University Peacocks at Hypes Field on April 11th through the 13th. McKendree took the first three games of the series by the scores of 6-1, 3-0 and 6-5 before dropping the series finale 19-11 in extra innings.
Game 1 – Friday, April 11th
The opening game of the series saw UIU get on the board first in the top of the 2nd inning with an RBI single. As the game moved to the bottom of the 3rd, Hunter Sherman laced a triple to right field that scored Harrison Toone to tie the game at 1. The next batter, Peyton Bittle singled a up the middle to score Sherman for the 2-1 McKendree lead. Just a couple of batters later, Javy Garcia singled to left field that scored Bittle. The offense ended with a Kaid Muth sacrifice fly to left field that scored Sage McMinn to make it 4-1 Bearcats.
The game moved to the bottom of the 6th, with runners on the corners, Toone stole second and drew a throw from the Peacocks' catcher allowing Max Meuli to steal home for the 5-1 lead. Noah Shuman wrapped up the scoring for the contest with a solo home run to left field in the 8th.
Mitchell Alba picked up his first win of the year going six innings, striking out three and only allowing the one run. Adam Keeney picked up the three-inning save only allowing two baserunners via a walk and hit-by-pitch.
Game 2 – Saturday, April 12th
The second game of the series was a pitchers' dual with 10 combined hits. McMinn got the Bearcats on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to center field that scored Bittle. With the game now in the bottom of the third, Sherman led off with a double down the left field line. After a groundout to move Sherman to third, McMinn took a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for the two-run home run to make it 3-0 McKendree.
Trey Cole went the distance for the second straight weekend and picked up his second win of the season. He struck out six, allowed five hits and two walks.
Game 3 – Saturday, April 12th
With the Bearcats looking to clinch the series in game three, UIU loaded the bases in the top of the first and managed to walk across a run for the 1-0 lead. That lead did not last long as back-to-back doubles by Sherman and Bittle tied the game.
The Bearcats struck for three more runs in the third inning. Sherman scored on a pass ball and Muth launched a two-run home run to left field for the 4-1 lead. After Upper Iowa got one back on an RBI groundout, Garcia responded with an RBI single to make it 5-2 through five.
The Peacocks got back to within a run in the top of the sixth with a throwing error and a sacrifice fly. In the bottom half, Bittle reached a fielder's choice that allowed Meuli to score. UIU threatened in the final frame as they got a run, but Bryce Humphrey closed the door for his third save of the year.
Cody Bledsoe got the win, his first of the year throwing 5.1 innings.
Game 4 – Sunday, April 13th
The final game of the series saw a high scoring affair with the wind howling straight out to left field at 20 mile per hour-plus. After a Shuman bases loaded walk, Chyran Cruse laced a two RBI double to left field that scored Muth and McMinn to make it 3-0 McKendree after the opening frame. UIU got a solo blast in the top of the second to make it 3-1. Bittle answered with a two-run home run of his own that scored Toone to make it 5-1 Bearcats. Shuman made it 6-1 with his single down the left field line.
UIU answered back with three runs in the top of the third, but Hunter Sherman made it 8-4 Bearcats with a two-run home run to left field that scored Toone. After runs in the top of the fifth and 7th, UIU crawled to within a run at 8-7. Garcia hit a solo blast to left field that made it 9-7. McMinn hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the 8th that put the lead at 11-7. The Peacocks tied the game in the top of the ninth to force extras. They put eight runs on the board in the top of the 10th to put the game out of reach.
Next weekend, the Bearcats remain at home as they welcome the William Jewell College Cardinals to Hypes Field. With the Easter holiday, the series is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 17th.
