McPherson, Kan. – Both the McPherson College baseball team and the Friends University squad won a day in the weekend series between the two clubs. Mac took Friday, 12-7 and 5-4, while the Falcons won Saturday, 8-4, 13-3.
Friday, Game 1 – W 12-7
It was a tale of big innings in the opening game of the series. McPherson started strong, scoring four in the first and then two in the second to jump in front 6-0; they added another two in the sixth to take an 8-0 lead.
As they looked to have the game in the bag, the Bulldogs made a pitching change in the seventh. The Falcons took that opportunity and ran with it; scoring seven to tighten the game.
The sticks went back to work for the MC offense as they scored another two runs to increase their cushion to three runs, 10-7, after their half of the seventh. Matthew Green got the final out in the seventh and then finished the game without allowing a run, giving Mac the 12-7 win.
McPherson logged 14 hits, drew nine walks, and made it to first after getting hit by six pitches. Reily Martin went 2-of-2 from the plate, was hit twice, and also made it on via base on balls once. Evan Willow was 4-of-5 from the plate and had a team-high three RBI. Lucas Giesey also recorded three Runs Batted In. Jackson Goodmiller had a strong showing as well with a 3-of-4 performance.
Dylan Klava picked up the win for Mac with his six solid shutout innings; he scattered five hits and walked two.
Friday, Game 2 – W 5-4
It was the Falcons that jumped out to an early lead in the day's second game as they scored one in the first and then three in the second.
McPherson had just four hits through the first five innings but the offense came to life in the sixth, scoring a pair of runs in the ensuing two innings to tie the game up and force extras. In the seventh, and mind you this was scheduled as a seven-inning game, Martin blasted the series' lone homerun over left-center to tie it up at 4-4.
After getting out of a pair of jams in both the eighth and the ninth, the Bulldogs took the game with a walk off single by Goodmiller, which brought the final to 5-4.
Both Martin and Goodmiller tallied three of McPherson's 10 hits. Four others recorded one knock of the ball.
Colter Streck started the game for MC and went six innings before being relieved; he allowed four earned runs on five hits and four walks. After a solid one-inning performance from Jesse Correll, Blake Ware picked up the win following his two innings of work.
Saturday, Game 1 – L 8-4
In baseball, you try and prevent giving up the "big inning," and after doing that for seven solid frames, the Mac pitching staff couldn't do it for another, allowing six runs in the eighth which broke the game wide open.
Both teams started the day with a run in the first and then after five scoreless innings, McPherson jumped in front 4-2 following a three-run seventh. In the eighth, Friends was able to string together some hits and draw some walks to score their six, putting them up 8-4.
The 'Dogs got one aboard in the eighth and two in the ninth but couldn't bring them around, losing their first game of the series 8-4.
McPherson had 11 hits and four walks in day two's opening contest. Both Matt Bryan and Dylan Klava recorded three of those hits with two of Klava's being doubles; Bryan had a 100% on base percentage with his three knocks and two walks.
Lane Fleming threw a solid seven and a third innings; he gave up four runs on 10 hits and three walks. Ware was the game's losing pitcher as he pitched the final two-thirds of the eighth.
Saturday, Game 2 – L 13-3
It was an ugly start for Mac in the last game of the weekend. Friends took advantage of some untimely errors by the Bulldogs to jump out in front 6-0. To make things worse, the Bulldogs gave up another four in the second and quickly found themselves in a 10-0 hole after just two innings gone by.
McPherson got their first runner across home plate in the third but two more by the Falcons in the fourth pushed the score to 12-1. Mac plated two more in the fifth to put their total at three. Another run by Friends in the seventh ended the scoring and the game at 13-3.
Bryce Strecker didn't record a single hit but made it to first three times; he drew a walk twice and was hit by a pitch as well. Six Bulldogs logged a hit with Martin also picking up a walk.
The 'Dogs went through four pitchers with Tyler Bailey getting the start and loss for MC. Cameron Oram had an impressive three innings of relief for Mac; he allowed just two hits out of his 10 batters faced.
It's a JV game against Central Christian College next Wednesday for McPherson; start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CT) on the 6th at Light Capital Diamonds in McPherson.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
