Softball | 4/16/2011 5:16:48 PM
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Salina, Kan. – The McPherson College softball team split a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon at Bill Burke Park in Salina. The Bulldogs lost game one 3-2 before rallying to win game two 4-3.
With the split, McPherson is now 18-20 overall and 6-4 in conference, while the Coyotes are 25-13 overall and 6-6 in the KCAC.
In game one, the starting pitching ruled the contest, as sophomore Kelsey Dutton (Limon, Colo.) and Kansas Wesleyan’s Tiana Rendon controlled the tempo.
Dutton, despite taking the loss, threw six innings, while allowing three runs (one earned) and striking out one.
McPherson opened the scoring in the top of the fourth when freshman Payton Toepfer (Crescent, Okla.) opened the inning with a single down the right field line. She later scored when junior Andrea Falk (Cheyenne, Wyo.) singled through the left side to give MC a 1-0 advantage.
However, the Coyotes answered back with one of their own in the bottom half to even the game at one apiece. Kansas Wesleyan took its first lead of the game the next inning on a Bulldog error that led to two unearned runs (3-1 KWU).
The Bulldogs tallied one in the sixth, but failed to tie the game.
Five different Bulldogs accounted for MC’s five hits, while Falk and Dutton tallied RBIs.
McPherson trailed early in game two, after a leadoff walk and wild pitch put a runner on second with no outs. That run scored two batters later on a double to give KWU a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs answered back with two in the top of the third. After a pair of strikeouts, senior Ashley Toepfer (Crescent, Okla.) singled up the middle followed by a KWU error that allowed senior Jamie Gilbert (Joplin, Mo.)to reach safely. A Payton Toepfer (Crescent, Okla.) single gave MC bases loaded with two outs. Junior Katie Logan (Clay Center, Kan.) took advantage of the situation, blasting a double to left center that scored Ashley Toepfer and Gilbert.
The Coyotes tied the score, 2-2, in the bottom of the inning. Kansas Wesleyan added another in the fifth, which McPherson matched in the sixth to make it 3-3 entering the final frame.
Logan opened the seventh with a one out single and advanced to third two pitches later on a Falk ground-rule double. Following a Bulldog strike out, junior Sadie Green (Hutchinson, Kan.) hit a sharp grounder to third that the third baseman misplayed, allowing Logan to score and give MC a 4-3 lead.
In relief of Logan, Dutton retired in the side in the bottom of the inning to give McPherson the 4-3 win.
Logan finished game two 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs to lead McPherson.
The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday, April 19 when they host Bethany College. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
