Softball | 4/11/2012 9:48:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson softball team completed its first KCAC sweep of the season on Wednesday as they defeated the University of Saint Mary 12-6 and 6-4. The Lady Bulldogs move to 10-18 for the year, 4-4 in conference.
Game One: McPherson 12 – Saint Mary 6
Box Score
In the opening game of the double-header, MC started things off with a bang as the second batter in the lineup, Ariel McGee (Denver, Colo.), hit a two-run shot over the left-center field fence. In the second inning, Sadie Green (Hutchinson, Kan.) hit an error-helped inside the park homerun, bringing around Courtney Shald in the process. The Lady Bulldogs waited until the fourth to pour on four more runs and did the same in the sixth after USM brought in five in the top of the inning. Pitcher Allison Love (Tulsa, Okla.) struck out two of the batters she faced in the top of the seventh to close out the game.
Seniors Janie Gunther (Scott City, Kan.) and McGee led the team with three hits; Shald, Taylor Medler (Collinsville, Texas) and Ashley Love (Tulsa, Okla.) each recorded two while three other batters hit one.
Love pitched another complete game, giving up all six runs off of nine hits in her seven innings. She logged five strikeouts, nine groundouts and two walks in the win.
Stelli Norton was the only Lady Spire to have two hits in the contest; seven other players each had one. Norton also led the team in RBIs with four, courtesy of her fifth inning grand-slam.
The starting pitcher for Saint Mary was Victoria Toplikar who lasted three and two thirds innings before being replaced by Kimberly Piatt. Toplikar tallied six earned runs, eight hits, and two walks before being relieved. Piatt finished out the game, allowing four runs, three of them earned, coming from seven hits.
Game Two: McPherson 6 – Saint Mary 4
Box Score
In the second matchup of the night, it was USM who scored first but not until the top of the third when a Toplikar two-run homerun put the Spires up 2-0. McPherson answered back in the bottom of the inning, as McGee brought in Kelly Custer (Elkhart, Kan.). The Lady Bulldogs took the lead for good in the fourth (5-2) where they scored four more, three coming off of Logan’s three-run homerun to right-center. MC gained one more in the sixth and Saint Mary tried to come back in the seventh but could only muster two runs, ending the game at 6-4.
Logan, McGee and As. Love each tallied two hits and three others had one. Custer made it on base twice as well, drawing two walks.
McPherson used two pitchers in game two and sent Brittany Cole (Belton, Mo.) to the mound to get things started. She pitched six innings, striking out four, and was relieved after USM got two on in the top of the seventh. Cole surrendered four earned runs, six hits and three walks. Al. Love finished off the Spires in 10 pitches.
Saint Mary had seven players with one hit in their loss; Norton and Toplikar each had two RBIs to lead the team.
A complete game was recorded by Norton, who allowed six earned runs in the loss. She had five strikeouts, nine ground outs and three walks in her six innings.
McPherson now gets two days rest before they head to Ottawa, Kan., to take on the Braves of OU on April 14th. The double-header matchup is set to begin at 1 p.m. (CT)
