Baseball | 3/23/2014 2:38:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4

McPherson, Kan. – MC is doing a solid job this season of winning their first game of doubleheaders but is having a tough time closing out each day, leaving them with a 4-4 KCAC record with four game-one wins and four game-two losses.  The latest set of games for the 'Dogs came against the University of Saint Mary this past weekend.

Game 1 – at Univ. of Saint Mary – W 15-5

Just about everything that could go right did for McPherson in their opening contest of the series as they scored 15 runs in the seven-inning game while allowing just five; Mac scored two in the third, five in the fourth and four in both the sixth and seventh innings.

An impressive 16 hits were logged by the Bulldogs and both Josh Grant (Paris, Texas) and Jose Nossa (Valencia, Venezuela) tabulated three apiece; Nossa also led the team in RBI with four and got aboard once via base on balls.  Austin Russell (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) got to first three times by drawing walks while Zach Wilson, Seth Davenport and Charles Boosa each recorded a pair of hits.

Taylor Werts (Mansfield, Texas) pitched his third complete game of the year, going the full seven innings while surrendering seven hits, five earned runs and three walks; he struck out three.

 

Game 2 – at Univ. of Saint Mary – L 9-3

The second game of the day was a near opposite of the first as the 'Dogs struggled to put runs on the board.  The Spires had just two good innings but it was enough; they put up three in the first and five in the sixth while tallying one more in the fifth for their nine.

Nossa and Grant again led the Bulldogs in hitting, garnering two apiece; four other MC players logged one hit in the team's loss.

Starting things at the mound for Mac was Nolan Huelsmann (Goddard, Kan.) who went five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits; he had a pair of strikeouts and walks before being relieved.  Colter Streck (Woodland Park, Colo.) started the sixth inning but after allowing two earned runs on one hit and a walk, he was replaced by Brant Rhoades (Burlington, Colo) who closed out the game; Rhoades gave up three unearned runs in his one-inning of work.

Game 3 – vs. Univ. of Saint Mary – W 5-3

The first game on Saturday brought about some odd scoring as the Spires scored their three runs in the first inning and then went scoreless the rest of the way while McPherson put their five on the board in the fifth and then were blanked for the final three innings; the one-inning total was enough for Mac to take the game 5-3.

Nine hits were logged by MC with three 'Dogs in Wilson, Dorian Shelton and Tom Potter recording two each; Jordan Slaton (Dodge City, Kan.) also got on twice, once via a walk and the other on a single.

Starting day two for the Bulldogs was Scott Hughes (Albuquerque, N.M.) who, after his three-run first inning, settled down and forced zeroes for USM the rest of the way, earning both the win and a complete game.

Game 4 – vs. Univ. of Saint Mary – L 11-1

Much like the two teams' game two encounter from Thursday, it was all Saint Mary in game two on Saturday; the Spires put five on the board in the second inning and after allowing Mac to take one back in the bottom of the second, scored the next six runs to claim the 11-1 victory, splitting the series at two games apiece.

Mac posted just seven hits for their lowest total of the weekend; Nossa and Shelton each tabbed two.  Potter (Dayton, Minn.) recorded the sole RBI for Mac.

Grant slid over from his short stop position to pitch for McPherson; he threw for four innings, giving up five earned and three unearned runs off of seven hits and a walk.  Rhoades closed out the game for MC, going the final three innings; the sophomore gave up three earned runs on seven hits while striking out two.

The 'Dogs next have a weekend series with Ottawa University as the Braves travel to Mac on Friday, March 28 for a 5:00 p.m. (CT) doubleheader; the Bulldogs head up to Ottawa on Saturday for two games set to commence at 1:00

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