McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College softball team pounded out 24 hits and took advantage of 12 errors while sweeping a doubleheader against crosstown rival Central Christian College Tuesday night at Wall Park. The Bulldogs (8-12) win the opener, 10-2, in six innings, then mounted a late charge to post an 8-4 win in the night cap.
Game 1 --- McPherson 10, Central Christian 2 (6 inn.)
The Bulldogs rode a dominant performance from
Christie Betker (Reno, Nev., Reno HS) in the circle to take game one. Betker struck out eight of the first 10 batters she faced, finishing with 14 Ks in a six-inning complete-game effort. She struck out the side in the second, third and sixth innings.
McPherson broke the game open with six runs on five hits in the second inning. The big hit of the frame came off the bat of
Jasmine Curiel (Corona, Calif., Corona HS), who rapped a bases-loaded triple deep down the left field line. Curiel later scored on a
Kortney Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) RBI single. Jessica Jones also had an RBI single in the inning.
Curiel picked up another RBI in the third inning on a sacrifice fly that scored
Erica Almaraz (San Bernandino, Calif., Aquinas HS) from third base to make it a 7-0 game.
Central Christian got on the board with a pair of runs in the fourth. Kasi Kraus led off the inning with a bunt single, then came around to score on a Lyssa Richhart bunt single. The second Tiger run came when Ashly Westgarth scored when Mandy Jacques reached on a McPherson error in the infield.
The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom half of the same frame as
Ali Smith (Lodi, Calif., Lodi HS) and Almaraz scored when a fly ball off the bat of
Chelsea Conrad (Ione, Calif., Argonaut HS) was dropped in the outfield. After leaving a runner on base in the fifth inning, Almaraz provided the winning run in the sixth when she scored on a
Jessica Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) infield single with two outs.
Betker scattered five hits while allowing just two runs (one earned). The only player to really get to Betker was Kraus, who accounted for three of the Tigers' five hits and scored a run.
Offensively, Jessica Jones had three hits, two RBIs and a run scored from the leadoff spot. Curiel added two hits and four RBIs, while Smith, Almaraz and Conrad each had two hits while hitting 7-8-9 in the order. Almaraz scored four runs after also reaching on an error and a fielder's choice.
Kraus took the loss after being stuck for seven runs on 10 hits in two innings of work. Jacques threw the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
Game 2 --- McPherson 8, Central Christian 4
The Tigers fared better in the second game against
Sydney Lang (Topeka, Kan., Shawnee Heights HS), scoring four runs on eight hits in five innings off the Bulldog senior.
The first two innings passed without a score, but both teams cracked the scoring column in the third inning. Central Christian grabbed a 1-0 lead when a wild throw by MC catcher
Katie Holmes (Harrah, Okla., Cowley County CC) down to third base on a steal attempt allowed Mariah Grijalva to score. McPherson countered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame as
Amanda Connell (Wichita, Kan., Circle HS) scored on a CCC fielding error and Jessica Jones scored on a fielder's choice.
Central Christian added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings off Lang, extending the lead to 4-2 and prompting McPherson head coach
Ashley Spencer to bring Betker in to start the sixth inning. The insertion of Betker paid immediate dividends as she sat the Tigers down in order in the sixth and struck out a pair.
McPherson carried the momentum into the bottom of the sixth, rallying for six runs on five hits and a pair of CCC errors. Three runs scored on a Jessica Jones single and a subsequent error.
Judith Salazar (Santa Maria, Calif., Allen Hancock College) added an RBI triple, then scored on an RBI single by Holmes.
Betker allowed a pair of baserunners in the seventh, but struck out Rayne Wright to end the game.
Salazar had three of McPherson's nine hits, while Jessica Jones added two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Betker picked up the win in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three in two innings of work. Lang struck out six while allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits in five innings.
Kraus and Westgarth each had two hits for Central Christian. Kraus took the loss in the circle, as well, after being charged with eight runs (five earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks in 5 1/3 innings.
"We played well across the board," said Spencer. "Being able to come from behind and get a win is always great. We will continue to build off that and trust the process in order to improve for the rest of the season."
The Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a 10-game stretch at home, welcome 12 other teams to Wall Park this Friday and Saturday for the McPherson Invitational. McPherson will have three games on Friday, facing Briar Cliff (Iowa) University, Hastings (Neb.) College, and Langston (Okla.) University, before wrapping up the tournament Saturday against Morningside (Iowa) College.
