McPherson, Kan. – It was a rough weekend for McPherson softball as they went 0-4 in their home tournament. The Lady 'Dogs struggled completing plays and plating runners as they recorded 18 errors and 12 runs in their four contests.
Friday, Game 1 – L 12-9
In what turned out to be the closest game of the weekend, the Bulldogs had to play catchup throughout the game and then ended up just short, losing 12-9 to Avila University.
After giving up three runs in the opening frame, McPherson answered with three of their own. The Eagles went on to score five in the second and Mac could only muster up two in their half of the inning, pushing the score to 8-5.
Trailing 11-6, MC had another good inning in the sixth, scoring three to tighten the score. The late rally was cut short, however, as the 'Dogs lost 12-9.
McPherson had nine runs on nine hits and nine walks. Katie Holmes went 4-of-4 from the plate and had four Runs Batted In; she was a homerun away from hitting for the cycle. Jourden Masero had three walks and one hit, recording a 1.000 on base percentage.
Freshman pitcher Sydney Lang picked up the loss for MC after throwing for three innings; she gave up 11 runs on 13 hits.
Friday, Game 2 – L 16-1 – Five Innings
It was a game of two big innings for Benedictine College as they scored 13 of their 16 runs in the second and fifth. McPherson played a tight game aside from those two frames but couldn't score enough, as they lost 16-1 in five innings.
Emily Davis and Simone Donaldson each recorded two of the team's seven hits. Both Shelby Maycumber and Samantha Harrity got on safely two times as well; Maycumber with a hit and walk and Harrity with a pair of walks.
Lang pitched into the second inning before Katie Usdansky came in relief; Usdansky pitched through the third. Mallory Fowler was brought in at the start of the fourth inning. Lang re-entered the game in the fifth inning and finished the game at the mound.
Saturday, Game 1 – L 13-2 – Five Innings
Day two started very nice for MC as they took down a solid Morningside College squad 1, 2, 3 in the opening inning. Unfortunately, that was the only inning where the Mustangs did not score.
McPherson answered a three run second inning with a run of their own but a strong third, fourth, and fifth by Morningside ended the game at 13-2 in five innings.
The Bulldogs put seven runners on with hits and drew two walks. Davis logged two hits and Maycumber got one twice with a walk and a hit.
Usdansky started her first game of the weekend and went three and a third, allowing 11 runs, only six earned, on 13 hits and zero walks. Lang ended the game with a strong showing, giving up two runs on one hit and a walk while striking out three.
Saturday, Game 2 – L 11-0 – Six Innings
In Mac's final game of the tournament, it was a pitchers battle for the first five innings as the score sat at 3-0 heading into the sixth. An eight-run sixth inning by Graceland University changed things as GU went on to win 11-0.
The Lady 'Dogs only had three hits and one walk in the contest; Davis, Azaria Romero, and Brittany Childs recorded the batted balls and Masero got on via base on balls.
Lang had a solid five innings but then had to be relieved in the sixth. Fowler was only able to record one out before Usdansky closed out the game for the MC pitching staff.
McPherson will have their second cross-town rivalry DH with Central Christian College on Wednesday night at Wall Park; the doubleheader is set to start at 5:00 p.m. (CT) and is Lady Express Day for MC.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
