GOODWELL, Okla. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College baseball team continued its hot start to the 2018 season with a four-game sweep of Oklahoma Panhandle State University over the weekend at the Aggie Baseball Field.
Sunday (Game 1) --- McPherson 10, Oklahoma Panhandle State 0
McPherson plated six runs in the first inning, then added one in the fourth and five in the fifth en route to the victory in the series opener.
Jackson Goodmiller (St. George, Kan., Rock Creek HS) finished with four hits, including three doubles, while driving in two and scoring twice.
Evan Willow (Victoria, B.C., Canada, Lambrick Park HS) added a 2-run home run in the first inning as part of a three-hit, four-RBI game, and
Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS) and
Mark Strebin (Westville, Ill., Danville Area CC) posted two hits apiece.
Matthew Green (Torrance, Calif., Brethren Christian HS) tossed a complete-game three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the mound.
Sunday (Game 2) --- McPherson 10, Oklahoma Panhandle State 6
Down 3-1 after four innings, Willow hit a 3-run home run followed by a solo shot from
Dylan Fontenot (Carencro, La., Carencro HS) to take a 6-3 lead. The Bulldogs added three runs in the fifth on RBI singles by
Dominick Ramos (Fresno, Calif., Hartnell College), Willow and Fontenot, then plated one final run in the seventh inning after Panhandle had cut the McPherson lead to 9-6 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
McPherson finished with 14 hits, led by four from Goodmiller and three each from Fleming and Willow. Goodmiller had a pair of doubles, while Willow drove in five. Fontenot chipped in with a pair of hits and three RBIs, while
Isaac Taylor (Cheyenne, Wyo., Western Nebraska CC) drew three walks.
Derek Stallworth had a two-run double to center in the sixth to lead OPSU.
Brett Carter picked up the win after scattering three runs on four hits and a pair of walks in 3.1 innings of relief.
Monday (Game 1) --- McPherson 9, Oklahoma Panhandle State 5
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 9-2 lead after three innings, then held off a late charge by the Aggies.
Fontenot finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while
Trevor Johnson (San Diego, Calif., Helix HS) had two hits and two RBIs.
Monday (Game 2) --- McPherson 8, Oklahoma Panhandle State 7
McPherson closed out the series with a furious comeback, overcoming a four-run deficit with five runs in the sixth inning.
Panhandle grabbed a 4-0 lead after three innings, but the Bulldogs plated three in the top of the fourth inning as Fontenot scored on a passed ball, Ramos came in from third on an error in the outfield and Strebin scored on a fielder's choice.
The Aggies responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning as Jacob Dean slapped a bases-clearing double to center.
McPherson stranded a pair of runners in the fifth inning before exploding in the sixth.
Tyler Dunn (Lawton, Okla., Eisenhower HS) threw 3.2 innings of relief to get the win, allowing one run on three hits and a pair of walks.
Dean finished with two hits and three RBIs for the Aggies.
The Bulldogs, now 10-2, are off to their best start since the program was restarted in 2011.
McPherson kicks off its 30-game Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) schedule Saturday with a doubleheader against Kansas Wesleyan University (7-3) at newly-constructed Bulldog Park. First pitch for the inaugural game at the new complex is slated for noon.
