Softball | 3/10/2012 11:45:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 |
Box Score 3 |
Box Score 4
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College softball team finished their home tournament where 16 teams played 36 games in two days. MC finished 1-5, losing their first two and last three with their lone win coming against Southwestern Christian on Saturday morning 5-3.
Friday, Game One: McPherson 1 – Hastings 5
Box Score
In the opening game of the McPherson College Tournament, the Lady Bulldogs had a hard time getting hits, only having two; Ariel McGee (Denver, Colo.) and Amanda Baxter (Pueblo, Colo.) grabbed those hits with McGee stretching hers to a double. Sadie Green (Hutchinson, Kan.) also reached base for MC, drawing a walk in the bottom of the first inning. Taylor Medler (Collinsville, Texas) had the team’s lone RBI which she got also in the first.
Allison Love (Tulsa, Okla.) entered the game with a 4.85 ERA and allowed only one run in the game, the other four were unearned. She pitched the complete game, striking out two and walking four.
Hastings had more success from the plate than the Bulldogs, gaining 13 hits on 32 at bats. HC was unable to turn any of their hits into more than just singles. Jessye Johnson led the team with three hits; four other Broncos recorded two.
MacKenzie Welchert was the starting pitcher and picked up the win for Hastings as she pitched the full game, allowing zero earned runs. She had five strikeouts and only one walk in her 25 batters faced.
Friday, Game Two: McPherson 2 – Graceland 8
Box Score
McPherson’s second game of the day was against Graceland University, whom they just lost to 4-5 in the Friends University Tournament last weekend. MC couldn’t overcome a seven-run third inning from GU, dropping their second straight. The Lady Bulldogs continued to struggle from the plate, netting only five hits in their 27 at bats. Kaci Nichols (Wilson, Kan.) led McPherson with two hits, one of which being a 225ft homerun. Katie Logan (Clay Center, Kan.), McGee and Green each had one hit.
Nichols was given the pitching duties for the matchup against the Jackets. She pitched her second complete game of the season allowing eight runs, seven earned, and 11 hits. Nichols charted one strikeout and three walks out of the 36 batters faced.
Graceland, after getting the majority of their runs in the third inning, was only able to get one more in the sixth. Brittany Petterson led the Jackets in hitting with three, all singles, in her four at bats. Two others had two hits and four more grabbed one. Alyssa Smith, one of those with a single hit, led the team in RBIs with three coming off her homerun in the third.
Christina Bradley was sent to the mound to face McPherson for the second time in a week. She recorded one earned and one unearned run as well as 10 Ks and only three walks.
Saturday, Game One: McPherson 5 – Southwestern Christian 3
Box Score
The Lady Bulldogs got Saturday started right as they defeated Southwestern Christian University 5-3 in the 8:30 a.m. game. Brittany Cole (Belton, Mo.) got the start for the early contest and pitched four and a third innings, giving up one earned run, two unearned, and charted two strikeouts, two fly outs and six groundouts. Al. Love came in relief in the fourth inning and finished the game, giving her the first save of the year for McPherson. She recorded three strikeouts and one hit in the batters faced.
The bats for MC improved from yesterday’s efforts, hitting the ball more times in the one game played on Saturday (8) than they had in both of Friday’s games combined (7). The Bulldogs got things going early with two homeruns in the first inning, a one-run shot from the lead-off batter Logan and a two-run smash from Ashley Love (Tulsa, Okla.). Courtney Shald (Coffeyville, Kan.) and Cole each had two hits for the day; Cole picked up a double while Shald recorded a triple.
Hilary Kuestersteffen was the starting pitcher for SCU and completed all six innings, tallying seven strikeouts and five earned runs with no walks.
Three Eagles recorded all eight of their hits with Kuestersteffen and Jesse Prince each grabbing three and Kayla Millette putting the ball into play twice; all eight hits were singles
Saturday, Game Two: McPherson 3 – Rogers State University 9
Box Score
The Lady Bulldogs started their second game of the day off with a solid three innings, leading 3-0 with two runs coming off back-to-back homeruns by Logan and McGee, before Rogers State jumped to a 4-3 lead and never allowed another run, defeating MC 9-3. McPherson was able to get seven hits from six ladies; Logan was the sole Bulldog with two.
After coming in relief in MC’s first game, Al. Love started the second, lasting four and a third innings before being replaced by Nichols who finished the contest. The two combined for two strikeouts, one walk, nine hits and three homeruns.
RSU tallied their nine hits from seven batters with three Hillcats hitting two. Shona Guerrero led the team with 2 RBIs on her two-run homerun, she also had a double. Katrina Loy and Kirsten Leppla also logged a homerun.
Laura Fleck was the starting pitcher for Rogers State and finished the seven inning game with two strikeouts, five fly outs and eight groundouts. She allowed three earned runs off of seven hits.
Saturday, Game Three: McPherson 1 – York College 7
Box Score
The hitting woes for McPherson continued as they only posted one in their fifth game of the McPherson tournament. McKenna Deckard (Hutchinson, Kan.) was the sole Bulldog with a hit coming in the bottom of the fifth. McGee tallied the RBI for MC.
Nichols got the complete game for McPherson, surrendering seven runs, four earned, eight hits and two walks. She recorded no strikeouts, five fly outs and six groundouts.
Lexi Paspalof and Connie Pearl each had two of the eight hits for York; both of Pearl’s hits were homeruns. The Panthers scored their first three runs on solo-shot homeruns, one in the third, fourth and fifth.
York College only used one pitcher in their victory over McPherson, Tiffany Cole recorded the win. She pitched 80 times and had six strikeouts, two walks and one unearned run.
Saturday, Game Four: McPherson 5 – Briar Cliff 10
Box Score
In the final game of the tournament, McPherson faced off with the Briar Cliff Chargers. After a strong start by the Chargers, three runs in each of the first two innings, the Bulldogs fell too far behind and despite a late charge, couldn’t overcome their early deficit.
Cole got the starting nod for MC but could only make it through one and a third inning, recording six runs, three walks, five hits and one homerun. Al. Love came in to replace Cole and finished the game, surrendering four runs, two earned, five hits and two homeruns.
McPherson had a late surge of hits in the game, whacking the ball 10 times but were unable to string any hits together. Janie Gunther (Scott City, Kan.) led the team with three hits including a solo-homerun coming in the bottom of the second inning. Shald and Baxter each put the ball in play twice.
Jennifer Bye was the first Charger sent to the mound and lasted five and two thirds innings before Bailey Hendrix was sent in relief. Bye tallied five strikeouts, two groundouts and two fly outs in the 26 batters she faced. In Hendrix’s one and a third, she allowed one run on three hits.
BC had three ladies grab two hits and four others recorded one out of their 31 at bats. Adriana Angulo hit in three runners to lead the team in RBIs.
The Lady Bulldog softball team will have one last tournament before they start KCAC play. They will travel to Hutchinson, Kan. for the Sterling College tournament scheduled for next Friday and Saturday. There are still some changes being made to the schedule, which is set to be released early next week
