Lebanon, Ill.  – McKendree scored 14 runs in the first three innings and held off a University of Missouri – St. Louis late-game rally as the Tritons fell to the Bearcats 16-15 Sunday afternoon at Hypes Field in Lebanon, Ill.  
 
How it Happened – The Bearcats opened the scoring in the home half of the first with five runs on five hits to take an early 5-0 lead. 
 
UMSL answered in the top of the second as Clayton Stephens opened the frame with a double to center field and moved to third on a Mitchell Green single to put runners at the corners. Stephens scored on another double by Ben Beier to make the score 5-1. Green would then come around to score on a Jared Bryant sacrifice fly to center field to cut the McKendree lead to 5-2. The Bearcats extended the lead in the home half of the inning with three runs on a pair of home runs to push the lead to 8-2. 
 
McKendree extended the lead in the bottom of the third with six runs on five hits including two more home runs to make the score 14-2. 
 
The Tritons cut into the Bearcat lead in the top of the fourth as Colin Holin started the inning with a double to left field and scored as Mitchell Spindler grounded out to the third baseman to put the score at 14-3.  
 
The Bearcats added to the advantage in the bottom of the fifth with a run off a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 15-3. 
 
The Tritons offense got on track in the sixth as Spindler. Kameron Laskowski, and Matt DiMemmo all had RBI singles while Stephens ripped a three-run home run and Green laced a solo blast over the left field wall to cut the Bearcat advantage to 15-10. McKendree picked up a run in the bottom of the frame to push the lead to 16-10. 
 
Brandon Olion continued the Tritons rally in the seventh as he lashed a two-run homer to left field to score Jared Bryant, who walked to open the inning, to cut the Bearcat lead to 16-12.  
 
In the ninth, Olion started another rally for the Tritons by drawing a two-out walk and moved to third on a Laskowski single to put runners on the corners. Olion scored on a DiMemmo single while Laskowski came home on a fielding error to get UMSL to within two runs at 16-14. Green then hit another single to plate DiMemmo to cut the lead to 16-15, but that is as close as the Tritons could get as the Bearcats got a strikeout to end the uprising and earn the weekend split. 
 
Winning Pitcher: Connor Gilles (1-0) 
Losing Pitcher: Jacob Mosher (1-1) 
Save: Evan Spears (1) 
 
Hitting Leaders: 
Stephens – 4-for-6, 4 RBI, 2B, HR (4), two runs scored 
Green – 4-for-6, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 runs scored 
 
Records: 
UMSL: 7-19, 6-6 GLVC 
McKendree: 11-19, 6-6 GLVC 
 
Up Next:  
The Tritons return home to the UMSL Baseball Field Tuesday to take on Illinois Springfield in a single game. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.