The No. 12 Lindenwood Lions baseball team travelled to Lebanon, Illinois to take on the McKendree Bearcats in a non-conference game on Sunday afternoon. It was an offensive slugfest for both teams but the Lions would come out victorious, 12-11.
Lindenwood would jump out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning with help from McKendree's defense, who committed three errors in the opening inning. Neither team would get on the scoreboard for the next four innings until the Bearcats took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
With the home team leading 4-3 the Lions would answer right back with a huge five run inning. The frame started with a Frank Corpus walk followed by Zach Malawey's third home run of the season to give the Lions the lead. Malawey's home run would not be the only round tripper in the inning. With runners on first and second Justin Lamar would connect on his first home run of the season to cap off a big inning and give the visitors an, 8-4 lead.
Lindenwood would hold the lead for just two innings as McKendree would answer with a two-run bottom of the sixth inning, a single tally in the seventh and two more runs in the eighth to take a, 9-8 lead heading in to the ninth inning.
It didn't take the Lions long in the final inning to tie the score. Shelby Anderson led off the ninth inning with his ninth home run of the season to tie the score. With the game tied and two outs, the Lions would put two runners on and send up pinch hitter Randy Serrato. The senior from Whitter, Calif. would hit his first home run of the season to give Lindenwood a 12-9 lead.
Mckendree would not go down easily in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Bearcats would score two runs to the cut the lead to 12-11 and would eventually have the winning on first base but Derek Mayer would induce Brad Dunnigan into a ground out to give the Lions the hard fought, 12-11 win.
Lindenwood (25-10) will get back into conference play on Tuesday when they travel to Kansas City, Missouri to take on the top team in the HAAC, Avila.
