Ottawa, Kan. – The second conference series turned out much better for the MC baseball team as they went to Ottawa, Kansas and took three wins from the Braves. McPherson is now 12-12 on the year and 3-5 in the KCAC.
"We are playing our style of baseball," said Coach Aaron Martinez. "It's really good to see everybody buying in and it's really starting to become fun when we play like we did. We are doing a really good job with just working the process and letting the results take care of themselves. We're looking forward to this next week and seeing some people out at our home games."
Friday, Game 1 – W 8-6
The Bulldogs outlasted Ottawa University in Friday's nine-inning game after five lead changes, squeaking out an 8-6 win in Ottawa.
Mac jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. A double by Dylan Fontenot, plated Matt Bryan to start the inning off.
The 'Dogs matched their two-run sixth inning with two more in the ninth; in the sixth, they scored on an RBI double by Lucas Giesey, scoring Evan Willow.
McPherson pulled out the win thanks to a strong ninth inning. An error scored Fontenot and gave Mac the lead for good.
Giesey racked up two RBIs on two hits for the Bulldogs. Five different MC players tallied two hits including Giesey, Willow, and Lane Fleming who each had a walk with theirs as well.
Dylan Klava put together a nice outing as he went seven innings on the mound, allowing six runs on nine hits but picking up eight strikeouts. Blake Ware recorded the win after holding OU hitless over one and two-thirds innings, allowing no earned runs, walking none and striking out two.
Friday, Game 2 – W 12-4
McPherson jumped out to an early lead on the Braves and captured a 12-4 victory in the doubleheader's second game.
With 12 runs in the first three innings, the 'Dogs left no doubt about the eventual outcome.
Klava racked up two RBIs on three hits for MC; he singled in the first, third, and sixth innings. Both Jackson Goodmiller and Trent Smith also had a pair of hits.
Colter Streck got it done on the mound on the way to a win; he allowed four runs over five innings. The senior struck out one, walked one, and surrendered eight hits.
Saturday, Game 1 – W 10-2
Saturday's opening game again went the way of the visiting Bulldogs as they took out OU 10-2, inching them closer to the series sweep.
McPherson scored two in the first, one in the third, another two in the fourth, then all but ended the game with three in the seventh; they added a couple more in the ninth for good measure.
Bryan paced the 'Dogs at the plate with his four Runs Batted In. Klava went 2-of-4 with a walk in the win.
Fleming recorded the win for the Mac pitching staff; he allowed two runs over five and a third innings. He struck out four, walked one and surrendered six hits. Ware shut down Ottawa while he was on the hill. The Braves managed just three hits off of Ware, who allowed no earned runs, walked none and struck out one during his three and two-thirds innings of work.
Saturday, Game 2 – L 6-5
Mac fell short of the sweep after losing a hotly contested 6-5 game in seven innings in their final contest in Ottawa.
The top of the third saw the Bulldogs take an early lead, 3-0. Bryce Strecker started the rally for the MC with a single; a stolen base then moved Strecker from first to second. More runs came home for the 'Dogs when Shon Pinard and Reily Martin scored on a groundout by Bryan.
OU survived the McPherson's surge and put up three runs of its own in the third.
After allowing two to Ottawa in the fourth, MC tied the game in the seventh on an RBI single by Trevor Haycock that scored Klava.
The Braves scored the game winning run on a pair of Bulldog errors in the bottom of the seventh.
Mac had eight hits with Haycock and Strecker each responsible for two; both Klava and Bryan got aboard twice on a walk and a hit.
Matthew Green was charged with the loss. He pitched the final two innings, walked none, struck out one, and allowed the game-winning one run.
The Bulldogs will have game two of three in the cross-town rivalry series this week as they take on Central Christian College on Tuesday evening at Light Capital Diamonds; start time for the single nine-inning game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CT)
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
