ST. LOUIS – Ben Gregory pitched Maryville to a game-one win in a doubleheader against McKendree University on Friday afternoon. The Saints took game one with a 4-1 final before dropping game two 6-3.
 
Game One Recap
The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after a double from Noah Nelson and an RBI single from Kaid Muth. The Saints got that run back in the bottom of the first on back-to-back two-out doubles from Elias Stevens and Matt Schuler.
 
Starting pitcher Ben Gregory set down the next six batters he faced in the second and third innings while his offense went to work. In the bottom half of the third, Michael Gould led off with a single, stole a pair of bases, and came in to score on a throwing error to take a 2-1 lead. In the fourth, Andy Bunton hit his first home run of the season off the scoreboard in left field to extend the lead out to 3-1.
 
Gregory continued shutting down the McKendree offense and finished his day with a 1-2-3 top of the sixth. In total, the sophomore from Granger, Ind., went six innings with five strikeouts, one earned run, and just two hits allowed.
 
Bunton plated another run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to put Maryville ahead by three. Closer Noah Harbin was called in for the seventh and got a pop-out in foul territory and a 6-4-3 double play to end the game with a 4-1 final. He picked up his sixth save of the season, one off from tying the program's single-season record and two off from tying the career saves record.
 
Winning Pitcher: Ben Gregory (5-5)
Losing Pitcher: K. McCarty (2-5)
Save: Noah Harbin (6)
  
Batting Leaders
Andy Bunton: 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Matt Schuler: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
Michael Gould: 1-for-3, R, 2 SB
 
Game Two Recap
Michael Paule slugged a solo home run with one out to put McKendree up in the first inning again in game two. The score remained locked in at 1-0 until a three-run home run from Tommy Mohan in the fifth pushed the lead to four.
 
Freshman Gavyn Schacher doubled home a run in the bottom of the fifth and the Bearcats responded with another run in the sixth. In the bottom half of the sixth, Colin Bergmann and Camden Ruby singled in runs to pull within two.
 
McKendree picked up an insurance run on a Brody Macak single in the seventh before Nate Arnold sealed up his third save of the season in the bottom half.
 
Winning Pitcher: T. Cole (4-5)
Losing Pitcher: Noah Arras (4-1)
Save: N. Arnold (3)
 
Batting Leaders
Camden Ruby: 1-for-2, RBI, R
Colin Bergmann: 1-for-3, RBI
Gavyn Schacher: 1-for-3, RBI
 
Records:
Maryville: 33-16, 25-10 GLVC
McKendree: 17-32, 10-25
 
What's Next?
The final game of the regular season and the four-game series with McKendree University is on Saturday, May 4. The first pitch is scheduled for noon after Senior Day festivities.
 
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