McPherson, Kan. – After a day-one split with the University of Saint Mary, the Bulldogs dropped both Leavenworth contests on Saturday to lose the series 1-3 to the Spires; Mac is now 4-16 on the year.
Friday, Game 1 – 7-5 USM
MC took a 2-1 lead after the first inning but could only maintain their advantage through the second as Saint Mary put three on the board in both the third and fourth innings to take a 7-2 lead. The 'Dogs rallied in the sixth to bring their deficit to two but couldn't regain the lead, dropping the contest 7-5.
Mac outhit the Spires 14-7 but left too many on the bases. Stephon Miller went 3-of-4 in the game to lead the squad. Kyle McDonald, Evan Willow, and Tom Potter each tallied two hits; Potter also got on once via a walk.
Jesse Correll pitched for the first three and two-thirds innings for the Bulldogs, allowing all seven runs, six of which were earned. Colter Streck entered in the fourth and closed out the game for MC; he didn't allow a single hit in his time out the mound.
Friday, Game 2 – 7-6 MC
The 'Dogs took charge early in game two as they went up 3-0 after the first and then 7-0 after the third. Saint Mary almost rained on Mac's parade as they tallied five runs in the fourth to inch closer and then made things interesting in the seventh as they scored one and had the runners on to tie the game. Fortunately, McPherson was able to get out of a jam late to split the day after the 7-6 victory.
MC stayed on their bats as they netted 10 hits and also had five walks. Miller again went 3-of-4, all being singles, to lead the way. Seth Davenport and Jimmy Fisher each tabbed two hits while Reily Martin got on once on a hit and another time via a walk.
Ethan Dowling picked up the win for the pitching staff as he threw for three and two-thirds, allowing five runs on nine hits and a pair of walks. Keegan Hays logged a save to preserve the win, pitching the final three and a third innings.
Saturday, Game 1 – 8-2 USM
For all of the good that came out of Friday, the 'Dogs couldn't carry it over to Saturday. A set of errors by McPherson allowed for a four-run second inning by the Spires, giving them a 5-1 lead after two. USM scored two more in the fourth and another in the fifth to earn the 8-2 win.
McDonald had three of the team's eight hits while Davenport and Willow each tabbed two.
Nathan Crowe pitched the complete game for MC, going for six innings. He recorded one strikeout to go along with his six earned and two unearned runs.
Saturday, Game 2 – 11-0 USM
Nothing was going right for Mac in the final game of the series. They allowed five runs to the Spires in the first inning which proved to be plenty as the 'Dogs logged just two hits in the seven-inning rout. Saint Mary was able to cruise to an 11-0 win.
McPherson got aboard five times in the contest. Martin and Shon Pinard were responsible for the two hits, Matt Bryan drew a walk, and Martin and Willow each got hit by a pitch.
Treyton DeVore started the game at the mound for the Bulldogs but didn't last long as he threw for just one inning. Loren Farley pitched for the second, third, and fourth, logging the team's only strikeouts, 2. Brant Rhoades finished out the day for MC, throwing to eight batters in his two innings of work.
The next game for McPherson will again be up in the Kansas City area as they are slated to face Avila University on March 16th for a 2:00 p.m. (CT) single nine-inning game.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
