LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against the University of Saint Mary Saturday as the teams opened a three-game Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) weekend series at the USM Baseball Field.
The Bulldogs (11-17, 3-5 KCAC) led game one, 9-4, after seven innings before the Spires (5-19, 3-5 KCAC) rallied for six runs in the bottom of the eighth to win, 10-9. Saint Mary completed the sweep with a 3-1 win in game two.
Saint Mary 10, McPherson 9
The Spires jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings off Bulldog starter
Dylan Klava (Douglas, Wyo., Colby CC). The lead held until the sixth inning, when McPherson exploded for eight runs on six hits.
Klava led off the frame with an infield single, then scored on an RBI double by
Jackson Goodmiller (St. George, Kan., Rock Creek HS).
Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS) rapped a single to right and
Evan Willow (Victoria, B.C., Canada, Lambrick Park HS) drew a walk to load the bases, then Goodmiller scored when
Bryce Strecker (Hutchinson, Kan., Trinity Catholic HS) was hit by a pitch.
Trevor Haycock (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Sr. HS) emptied the bases with a double to center to put McPherson in front. Klava followed with a two-run triple, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-3.
Saint Mary scored one in the bottom of the sixth as Jeremy Melvin scored on an Adam Stebbins RBI single, but McPherson countered with a run in the top of the seventh on a Fleming home run to lead off the frame.
The Spires were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh and the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize on a two-out single by
Trent Smith (Wellsville, Kan., Wellsville HS) in the top of the eighth, leaving the door open for the hosts in the bottom half of the inning.
After a double, a fielding error and a single loaded the bases, Jordan Wilkerson cleared the bases with a triple to right field. Wilkerson later scored on a Stebbins groundout. With one down, Guillermo Loera reached on a throwing error, then scored as Juan Gallardo put Saint Mary ahead with a two-run home run to center field.
Matthew Green (Torrance, Calif., Brethren Christian HS) came on with two outs and retired Isaias Pulido on a groundout to get out of the inning.
After a flyout by Goodmiller to open the ninth, Ryan Benson came on to retire the final two batters and snag the save.
Ryan Bracamontes picked up the win after getting the Spires out of the sixth inning and pitching into the ninth. He allowed just one run on three hits while striking out two in 2 2/3 innings.
Saint Mary had 12 hits offensively, including three by Stebbins, who also drove in two and scored one. Gallardo added two hits and three RBIs, while Wilkerson also drove in three.
Cory Royer (Las Vegas, Nev., Dodge City CC) took the loss after allowing five runs (two earned) on three hits in the eighth. Klava got the start but did not factor into the decision after allowing three runs in four innings.
The top three spots in the Bulldog lineup accounted for seven of the team's 11 hits. Fleming had three hits, while Klava, Goodmiller and No. 9-hitter Smith all had two. Haycock had a team-best three RBIs, while Klava added two and also scored twice.
Saint Mary 3, McPherson 1
Benson and Green returned to start game two after their abbreviated outings in the opener and finished with complete-game outings in the seven-inning contest.
The Bulldogs took the early lead with a run in the first inning. Klava led off the game with a double to left field, then scored on a Fleming sacrifice fly.
The Spires countered in the bottom half of the inning when Stebbins scored on a Chase Kearney RBI single to left.
McPherson had its opportunities in both the second and third innings, but was unable to push a run across and stranded two runners in each frame.
Saint Mary grabbed the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning as Wilkerson scored on a Stebbins single to left and then scored on a Mel Robles two-out pinch-hit single. The Bulldogs got a flyout to get out of a bases-loaded jam.
The Bulldogs had one runner each in the sixth and seventh innings, but Strecker was stranded after a two-out walk in the sixth and Smith was erased by a double play after leading off the seventh with a single.
McPherson finished with five hits, led by Klava with a double. Strecker also drew three walks.
Green allowed three runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and took the loss.
Saint Mary had 10 hits, including two each by Stebbins and Loera. Stebbins also had an RBI and scored twice.
Benson scattered five hits and four walks while allowing just one run.
The Bulldogs and Spires complete the three-game series Sunday afternoon with a single nine-inning game at 1 p.m.
