OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Bearcats stepped out of conference play for a midweek doubleheader against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers on Tuesday, April 22nd. McKendree took game one by the score of 12-3, while KWC won the nightcap 7-5. This was the first time the two schools have met on the diamond since 2013 when KWC was a member of the GLVC.
Game 1 – April 22nd
McKendree got the offense rolling from the first at-bat of the day. After Hunter Sherman got hit by the pitch to lead off the game, Peyton Bittle doubled to score Sherman for the early 1-0 lead. With Bittle standing on third base, Kaid Muth hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Bittle. Harrison Toone made it a 3-0 game in the top of the 2nd with an RBI single up the middle to score Max Meuli.
The third and fifth innings were all about Sage McMinn. In the third, he hit a solo blast to right field. His next at-bat in the fifth, he did the same, this time a 3-run shot to right field that extended McKendree's lead to 7-0. McKendree added five more runs in their half of the sixth. Sherman found an opening in left field for a 2-RBI double that scored Chyran Cruse and Isaiah Hoelscher. Bittle followed him with an RBI single to left field to bring Sherman home. Muth capped off the Bearcat offense with a 2-run home run to left field that scored Bittle.
KWC got three runs in the bottom of the 7th.
Game 2 – April 22nd
The Panthers got on the board first in the nightcap with an RBI single up the middle. Tyler Butash reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the 2nd that allowed Noah Shuman to score. KWC scored four unanswered runs in the 4th to make it a 5-1 game.
McKendree didn't go away easily as they answered with four runs of their own in the top of the 5th. Sherman singled to left field to score Toone that made it 5-2. Meuli drew a bases loaded walk to make it 5-3. Hoelscher finished the inning with a 2-RBI single to right field that scored Shuman and Muth to tie the game at 5.
KWC hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 5th to decide the game and added a run in the 6th.
McKendree jumps back into GLVC play this coming weekend with a four-game series at Drury University in Springfield, Mo.
