McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College softball team sent its three seniors out winners on Senior Day, sweeping rival Bethany College in a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Wall Park.
The Bulldogs (25-21, 11-9 KCAC) took game one, 3-1, then came from behind for a 3-2 victory in game two.
Seniors Katie Holmes (Harrah, Okla., Cowley County CC),
Azaria Romero (McPherson, Kan., Kansas Wesleyan University) and
Jourden Masero (Westminster, Colo., Northeastern Junior College) participated in their final home games as Bulldogs.
"The impact of [the seniors] to our program has been huge since they first stepped on the field," said head coach Ashley Spencer. "They have built trust in themselves and their teammates and they continuously trusted the process that the coaches provided. They have set a good example to the underclassmen about always believing and never giving up. As a group, they worked through struggles at the beginning of the season with playing time and hitting. They stuck with it, they kept working and it's really paid off as now [Holmes and Romero] are in the starting lineup again.
Game 1 --- McPherson 3, Bethany 1
The offense came alive early for McPherson, although they weren't able to cash in right away. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, but a fielder's choice and a fly out to right ended the frame.
McPherson loaded the bases again with one out in the second inning as
Christie Betker (Reno, Nev., Reno HS) singled to shallow left,
Jessica Knoeber (Hutchinson, Kan., Trinity Catholic HS) beat out a close play at first and
Jessica Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) reached on a fielder's choice when Bethany was unsuccessful at forcing Betker out at third base on a ball hit to short. After
Chelsea Conrad (Ione, Calif., Argonaut HS) flew out for the second out of the inning,
Judith Salazar (Santa Maria, Calif., Allen Hancock College) followed with a two-run single to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs stranded two runners each in the third and fourth innings, then tacked on another run in the fifth as pinch runner
Linsey Kramer (Junction City, Kan., Junction City HS) scored on a Betker RBI single up the middle.
Bethany tallied a run in the top of the sixth as Deanna Van Poucke singled to shallow left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before racing home on an RBI single down the right-field line by Emma Wager.
McPherson nearly tacked on another run in the sixth. With runners on second and third with one out, Holmes flew out to left and Romero hit into a fielder's choice where
Kortney Jones (Brentwood, Calif., Liberty HS) was tagged out moving from second to third.
Betker allowed a leadoff single to open the Bethany half of the seventh, but got consecutive fly-ball outs before pinch-runner Kali Jacobson was tagged out on a fielder's choice to end the game.
Betker picked up the win, allowing just one run on five hits. For Betker it was the first start of the season (and second overall appearance) where she failed to strike out a batter.
The Bulldogs pounded out 13 hits and stranded just as many batters on the base-paths. Knoeber was 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Jessica Jones, Kortney Jones and Betker each had two hits.
Ashley Nava took the loss for Bethany, allowing three runs on 13 hits and four walks while striking out one. Five separate Swedes had singles in the opener.
Game 2 --- McPherson 3, Bethany 2
Bethany had the early chances in game two, posting one hit and stranding one in both the first and third innings against McPherson starter
Sydney Lang (Topeka, Kan., Shawnee Heights HS).
The Swedes finally broke through in the fourth with two runs on four hits. Wager led off the frame with a double to deep center. After Lang snagged a sure single up the middle out of the air for out number one, Elizabeth Endsley followed with an RBI single to score Wager. Endsley moved up to third on a single by Anna Crawford, then scored on an Alexis Martinez sacrifice fly. Bethany nearly added to its lead, but Crawford was thrown out at home attempting to score on a Shannon Williams single to shallow center field.
The Bulldogs countered for a run in the bottom half of the frame when Conrad scored an
Ali Smith (Lodi, Calif., Lodi HS) RBI single. A Romero walk loaded the bases, but McPherson could not push another run across as Lang hit into a fielder's choice that saw Romero retired at second.
Kylee Martin (Colby, Kan., Goodland HS) entered the game in place of Lang in the fifth and sat the Swedes down in order. That opened the door for the Bulldogs in the bottom half of the frame.
Knoeber drew a leadoff walk then moved to second on a bunt single by Jessie Jones. The pair moved up one base each on a Conrad sacrifice bunt and, after a Salazar foul pop-out, Kortney Jones drove in Knoeber with a single to right. Smith followed with an RBI single to right-center that scored Jessie Jones and gave McPherson a 3-2 lead.
After a scoreless sixth, Betker came on in place of Martin and retired the Swedes in order for her second save of the year. She became the second Bulldog pitcher in program history to record multiple saves (Ciara Archer, 2014).
Lang started the game, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two in four innings. Martin pitched two perfect innings to pick up the win.
Smith had two hits and drove in two to lead the Bulldogs offensively. Jessie Jones and Conrad each had a hit and scored a run.
Bethany had six hits, including two from Williams.
Aspen Atkins took the complete-game loss for Bethany, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out four.
With the victories, McPherson set a new program record for KCAC wins - surpassing the 10 posted by the 2003 KCAC co-champion Bulldogs coached by current Bethany assistant Mike McCormick.
"A pair of wins like this show that this team is always ready to fight and always ready to keep going," said Spencer. "One-run games are what we're going to see the rest of the year, and when they still continuously have the heart and passion to fight all the way up to the seventh inning that shows a lot about what they're willing to do and how they can perform under pressure."
The Bulldogs close out KCAC play Tuesday night with a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Tabor College (26-17, 11-7 KCAC) before finishing the regular season with a doubleheader Saturday at Central Christian College.
"Tabor is a tough opponent," added Spencer about Tabor. "The biggest thing we need to do is get on the board first. I honestly think when we score first, we have a little bit more trust in ourselves and we can play with a little more freedom."
