OZARK, Mo. – McKendree took advantage of base-runners in the late innings and knocked off Drury 9-5 on Friday in the Great Lakes Valley Conference season opener at US Baseball Park in Ozark.
The 24
th ranked Panthers fell to 16-5 and 0-1 in the league, while the Bearcats went to 6-13 and 1-0 in the GLVC.
Drury led 3-0 through four innings, but McKendree pulled within a run, scoring twice in the fifth. An inning later, the Bearcats grabbed the lead on a two-out, two-RBI triple from Katom Parnell. In the top of the eighth, McKendree added three more runs to go up 7-3 and stretched the margin to six, scoring twice in the ninth.
Bearcats starter Garrett Herring (1-2) struck out nine batters and did not allow a walk in five innings as he picked up the win. Reliever Andrew Yancik got McKendree out of a bases-load jam in the eighth and finished the game to pick up his first save.
Cody Bahl (4-2) took the loss for Drury.
Aaron Mann went 4 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI for the Panthers.
DJ McNew was 1 for 3 with a two-run home run.
The two teams continue their four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon at US Baseball Park in Ozark.
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