McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- McPherson College junior catcher
Evan Willow (Victoria, B.C., Canada, Lambrick Park HS) hit two home runs and drove in a career-high seven as the Bulldogs topped Central Christian College, 10-1, in a nonconference game Tuesday afternoon at Light Capital Diamond.
Willow, who tied the MC single-game record for home runs and set a new mark for total bases with 10, hit a three-run blast in the first inning and a two-run shot in the seventh inning. He also had singles in the third and fifth innings.
He was also a complimentary battery mate to McPherson starting pitcher
Cory Royer (Las Vegas, Nev., Dodge City CC), who picked up the win on the mound after allowing just one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine.
"I think we are just really confident right now," said head coach
Bryan Moses. "Evan Willow and Cory Royer delivered a couple of clutch performances for us. We rode those guys the whole game."
The Bulldogs (11-15) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Dylan Klava (Douglas, Wyo., Colby CC) led off the game with a single through the hole at shortstop and
Trevor Haycock (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Sr. HS) reached on a walk before Willow sent a 2-0 pitch over the right-field fence for his first homer of the day.
Each team plated a run in the third inning. Haycock scoring on a Willow RBI single to left for McPherson, while Central Christian (7-18) responded when Shomari Cann crossed on an RBI groundout by Mario Rivera. Cann had reached on an error and moved to third on a wild pitch by Royer.
Three more runs came across in the McPherson half of the fifth as Willow drove in Klava with a single to right-center. Klava had led off the frame with a double deep down the left-field line and advanced to third on a fly out.
Reily Martin (Auburn, Kan., Hayden HS) followed later in the inning with a two-run single that scored pinch-runner
Jakob Shields (DeSoto, Kan., DeSoto HS) and
Dylan Fontenot (Lafayette, La., Carencro HS).
McPherson extended the lead to 9-1 in the seventh when Willow launched a 2-2 offering over the fence in left field. One final run came across in the ninth when pinch-runner
John Feaster (Gastonia, N.C., Junction City HS) scored on an infield error.
Laramie Lumley, Hunter Wilcher and Troy Carrigan each had one hit for the Tigers, who - aside from Cann in the third inning - didn't have another runner reach third base. Starting pitcher Patrick Lujan took the loss for Central Christian.
Willow (four) and Klava (three) accounted for seven of McPherson's 12 hits, while
Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS),
Jackson Goodmiller (St. George, Kan., Rock Creek HS),
Trent Smith (Wellsville, Kan., Wellsville HS), Fontenot and Martin all added singles.
"We made some nice strides today and continued to build our program brick by brick," added Moses.
The Bulldogs, winners of four in a row, will have a chance to extend that streak this weekend with a three-game series at University of Saint Mary (3-18, 1-5 KCAC) in Leavenworth. First pitch for both Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single nine-inning game is 1 p.m.
