McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College softball team closed out an eight-game homestand in style Tuesday afternoon, sweeping Graceland University, 7-0 and 6-4, at Wall Park.
Game 1 --- McPherson 7, Graceland 0
Kortney Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) went 2-for-3 with three RBIs to lead the Bulldog offense, while
Christie Betker (Reno, Nev., Reno HS) scattered six hits and three walks while striking out nine en route to the shutout victory in the circle.
After leaving a runner on in the first, McPherson mounted a serious threat in the second inning. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out on a Yellowjacket error followed by a walk and a single by
Taylor Hires-Caulk (Fernley, Nev., Central Arizona College) through the hole at shortstop.
Chelsea Conrad (Ione, Calif., Argonaut HS) reached on a fielder's choice when
Ali Smith (Lodi, Calif., Lodi HS) was forced out at home,
Jessica Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) lined out to short to end the inning.
McPherson struck for a pair of runs in the third inning.
Jasmine Curiel (Corona, Calif., Corona HS) doubled to right-center to open the inning. Kortney Jones followed with an RBI double to left-center to score Curiel, then came in on an Ali Smith single to shallow right field.
Hires-Caulk extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth when she scored on a Conrad bunt single.
Graceland had runners at second and third in the sixth, but a Betker strikeout got McPherson out of the inning unharmed.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, taking advantage of some smart baserunning. After a lineout to open the frame, Hires-Caulk reached on an infield single then stole second when the Yellowjackets left the base undefended. She moved to third on a Conrad groundout, then scored on a bunt single by Jessie Jones. Jones ended up at second on the play after taking advantage of another undefended base. Curiel and
Judith Salazar (Santa Maria, Calif., Allen Hancock College) followed with back-to-back singles through the hole at short with Curiel driving in Jones. Kortney Jones drove in Curiel and Salazar with a triple to deep right field but was stranded when
Jessica Knoeber (Hutchinson, Kan., Trinity Catholic HS) flew out to left-center to end the inning.
The visitors loaded the bases in the top of the seventh on a walk, a hit batter, a fielder's choice and a single up the middle, but Betker struck out Brennan Banks for the second out then fielded a soft grounder for the final out of the game.
In addition to Kortney Jones, Jessica Jones and Curiel each had two hits and an RBI and Hires-Caulk had two hits and two runs.
Hallie Linhart had two hits and drew a walk to lead Graceland. Breanna Fortune took the loss in the circle, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out three in four innings. Mattison Springs threw the final two innings for the Yellowjackets.
Game 2 --- McPherson 6, Graceland 4
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Jessie Jones led off the inning with a bunt single, was sacrificed to second by Curiel, then scored on a Salazar double to deep right-center field. Salazar later scored on a Kortney Jones single up the middle.
The sequence nearly repeated itself in the bottom of the second inning. With two out, Jessie Jones reached on another bunt single to the left side of the infield. Curiel followed with a walk, then Jones scored on a Salazar single through the hole at short. Kortney Jones rapped a ground-rule double over the fence in right field to score Curiel before a groundout ended the rally.
Graceland clawed back into the game with three runs in the fourth inning. Linhart scored on a Kristin Searcy RBI single. Searcy and Fortune later scored on a throwing error by
Sydney Lang (Topeka, Kan., Shawnee Heights HS).
McPherson responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jessie Jones reached with her third infield single of the game, then moved to second on a Curiel single to shallow right-center, before both scored on a Kortney Jones single up the middle.
The Bulldogs threatened to add to its lead in the fifth, but Conrad and pinch-runner Linsey Kramer were stranded when Jessie Jones was retired for the first time in the game when Yellowjacket left-fielder Dakota Buttrey hauled in a popup on the edge of the outfield grass.
Graceland left a pair of runners on in the sixth and scored one in the seventh when Hannah Murphy scored on a Linhart infield single with two outs. McPherson silenced the threat with a game-ending groundout to third.
Fortune also got the start - and the loss - in game two for Graceland, allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits and two walks while striking out four. She also collected two of the Yellowjackets' eight hits and had an RBI.
Lang picked up the win, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and four walks while striking out four.
Jones and Jones combined for seven hits in eight at-bats with four RBIs and three runs scored. Kortney was 4-for-4 with four RBIs, while Jessie was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Salazar added two hits and two RBIs as the Bulldogs out-hit the Yellowjackets, 11-8.
The Bulldogs (5-8) will take to the road for the first time in three weeks this weekend when they participate in the Friends University Invitational. McPherson will face Texas Wesleyan University and University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma on Friday afternoon before lining up against MidAmerica Nazarene University, Peru State College and Hastings College on Saturday. The Bulldogs are 1-2 against those teams this season, falling to Texas Wesleyan at the Cowtown Classic on Feb. 10 and splitting a doubleheader against Hastings on Feb. 19 at Wall Park.
