Softball Rebounds With Sweep of Southwestern

McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- One day after seeing a six-game winning streak come to an end, the McPherson College softball team started another streak, sweeping Southwestern College in a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) doubleheader on a blustery Friday afternoon at Wall Park.

The Bulldogs (22-19, 8-7 KCAC) took game one, 15-7, in five innings, then needed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to snag an 8-7 walk-off win to complete the sweep.

With the sweep, the Bulldogs tied the McPherson single-season record for wins in a season set in 2011 (22-26).

"When we let the team know [about tying the single-season wins record], they were really excited and I saw the competitiveness in their eyes show through," said head coach Ashley Spencer. "This team is ready to fight for the next win, now matter when it is, or where it is, or who it is."

Game 1 -- McPherson 15, Southwestern 7 (5 innings)
Southwestern roughed up McPherson starter Christie Betker (Reno, Nev., Reno HS) early on, scoring two runs on four hits, all with two outs in the top of the first. Allie Flinn hit an RBI double, then scored on a Cady Norton single up the middle.

The Bulldogs responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. Jessica Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) reached on an error to lead off the frame, then scored on a Chelsea Conrad (Ione, Calif., Argonaut HS) RBI triple to right-center. Conrad later scored on a shallow single to right by Katie Holmes (Harrah, Okla., Cowley County CC).

Betker was hit by a pitch to open the second inning and moved to second on a Conrad two-out single up the middle, but both runners were stranded as Judith Salazar (Santa Maria, Calif., Allen Hancock College) flew out to deep center for the third out of the inning.

The Lady Builders broke the deadlock with a pair of runs in the fourth on a two-run double by Peyton Timmerman.

The lead would be short-lived, though, as McPherson erupted for 13 runs off three Southwestern pitchers in the bottom of the fourth -- all with two outs. Azaria Romero (McPherson, Kan., Kansas Wesleyan University) cut the lead to one when she scored on a Conrad RBI single and Betker tied the game when she scored on a Lady Builder fielding error. Kortney Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) followed with a two-run double to give the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead. Conrad added a two-run single later in the inning before Salazar provided the capper with a three-run home run to center. All but the one run in the frame was unearned due to a pair of Southwestern errors.

The Lady Builders would cut into the lead in the fifth inning as Paige Hall hit a three-run home run to center that was nearly snagged by a sprinting Conrad in center field. The ball ticked off Conrad's glove near the fence and the momentum carried both the ball and Conrad over the top. Still needing one more run to extend the game, Sydni Fulks hit a two-out double down the left field line. The rally was brought to a halt when Kenzi Clapp grounded out to Betker in the circle to end the game.

Conrad finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Her first-inning triple was her third in as many games. Holmes added two hits and two RBIs, while Salazar drove in three and scored twice.

Betker helped her own cause with a hit and two runs scored. In the circle, she threw a complete game, giving up seven runs on 12 hits while striking out six in five innings.

Hall led the Lady Builders with three hits, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Flinn and Norton each had two hits and an RBI, while Timmerman drove in two.

Timmerman took the loss for Southwestern, allowing nine runs (one earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Game 2 -- McPherson 8, Southwestern 7
Game two was a back-and-forth affair with Southwestern grabbing a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Timmerman led off the game with a triple to left-center of McPherson starter Sydney Lang (Topeka, Kan., Shawnee Heights HS), then scored on a Whytleigh Guerrero sacrifice fly.

McPherson took the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Jessie Jones scored on sacrifice squeeze bunt by Kortney Jones. Conrad scored from third base one batter later when Smith lofted a single to shallow left field.

Southwestern took advantage of three separate Bulldog errors to score three runs in the top of the third to take a 4-2 lead but could not hold on to the advantage as McPherson scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the third.

After the Bulldogs loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a hit batter, Romero doubled to center to score both Kortney Jones and Smith. Holmes scored on a Lang double to shallow right. Lang nearly ran the Bulldogs out of the frame by straying too far off second base after a Jasmine Curiel (Corona, Calif., Corona HS) groundout. She was able to make it back safely, with an alert Romero at third base scoring when the Lady Builders made the attempt to get Lang out. McPherson would eventually reload the bases, but could not further add to the lead.

The visitors tied the game at 6-6 with two runs in the fourth, then grabbed a 7-6 lead with a run in the fifth.

Kylee Martin (Colby, Kan., Goodland HS) entered the game in relief of Lang in the sixth, working around a pair of two-out singles to keep it a one-run deficit. 

McPherson knotted the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth as Kortney Jones scored on a Romero single to shallow right-center.

Needing to hold the Lady Builders' bats in check, the Bulldogs went to Betker in the circle in the seventh. After Southwestern hit a pair of one-out singles, Sydni Fulks lined out to a diving Amanda Connell (Wichita, Kan., Circle HS) at shortstop, who made the throw to second base to double off the runner to end the inning.

Pinch-hitter Jessica Knoeber (Hutchinson, Kan., Trinity Catholic HS) led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle, then moved to second when Jessie Jones reached on an error. Conrad followed by dropping down a bunt, reaching safely when the throw to first was wild. The error allowed Knoeber to score the game-winning run.

Jessie Jones finished with four hits, while Romero added two hits and three RBIs. Conrad, Kortney Jones and Smith each added a pair of singles.

Kenzie Lyons led Southwestern with three hits, while Guerrero had two hits and three RBIs. Alex Ritzema, Cady Norton and Hall also had a pair of hits.

Flinn took the complete-game loss, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 15 hits and one walk.

Betker grabbed the win in relief, allowing two hits while pitching a scoreless seventh. Lang threw the first five innings, scattering seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and a pair of walks while striking out one before lifted for Martin in the sixth.

"The comeback [in game two] shows me that this team has a lot of heart and that they're ready to go whenever they're called upon," added Spencer. "We play a lot of players, whether its pinch hitters, pinch runners, relief pitchers. When I can call upon someone to be ready [on short notice] and they do their job, it shows they're all in it to win every time out. It was definitely about keeping it close today. We know we can score runs, it's just how many we can score per inning. So, to keep us close on the offensive side, we needed to disrupt their offense. That's where mixing in a pitcher like Kylee, who gives you such a different look due to her [stature], works so well."

K.Jones, Betker Set Single-Season Marks
With her two-run double in game one, Kortney Jones broke the McPherson single-season mark for RBIs. She now has 41 for the season. The old mark of 39 was set by Katie Holmes last year. Betker also broke the single-season pitching wins mark with her game one victory. Her 15 wins so far have bettered the old mark of 13 shared by LouAna Nuss (2003) and Jessica Yates (2007). She broke the single-season mark for strikeouts earlier in the month.

The Bulldogs' first opportunity to set a new single-season wins mark comes Wednesday afternoon when they venture to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to face Oklahoma Wesleyan University (23-18, 10-2 KCAC) in a 2 p.m. KCAC doubleheader.