Box Score McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College baseball team made its Bulldog Park debut Saturday with a doubleheader split against Kansas Wesleyan University, taking game one, 14-4, in seven innings before falling 8-6 in game two.
This weekend's series opens the 2018 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) slate for both schools.
Game 1 --- McPherson 14, Kansas Wesleyan 4 (7 innings)
After two scoreless frames to open the game, Kansas Wesleyan hung three runs on McPherson starter
Matthew Green (Torrance, Calif., Brethren Christian HS) in the third inning as Rex Campbell rapped an RBI single to left and Yodai Nakamura blasted a two-run double to deep right-center. The Coyotes added another run in the fifth as Campbell opened the frame with a double to right-center, then scored later in the inning when Nakamura reached on a fielder's choice.
The Bulldogs' bats came to life in the bottom of the fifth as
Brevin Baessler (Tempe, Ariz., Western Nebraska CC),
Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS) and
Evan Willow (Victoria, B.C., Canada, Lambrick Park HS) smashed back-to-back-to-back one-out singles with Willow driving in Baessler.
Dylan Fontenot (Carencro, La., Carencro HS) followed with a two-run double down the left-field line. A ground-out and a pair of walks followed to load the bases for
Jakob Shields (DeSoto, Kan., DeSoto HS) who beat out a slow roller to third base to plate Fontenot.
Jackson Goodmiller (St. George, Kan., Rock Creek HS) drove in the fifth run in the frame, beating out another slow roller to short while
Reily Martin (Auburn, Kan., Hayden HS) sprinted home from third base.
McPherson retired the Coyotes in order in the sixth, then piled on the runs in their half of the inning. A total of nine runs came across in the frame as Martin, Baessler and
Dominick Ramos (Fresno, Calif., Hartnell College) each had RBI singles,
Mark Strebin (Westville, Ill., Danville Area CC) added an RBI groundout, Fleming hit a two-run single and three runs scored on two separate sacrifice flies by Fontenot.
Green improved to 4-0 on the mound, scattering four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six in 6.1 innings.
Brett Carter (Sachse, Texas, Sachse HS) came in with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh and induced a game-ending double play.
McPherson pounded out 17 hits in the opener. Fleming collected four hits with two runs and two RBIs, while Fontenot drove in four on a double and two sacrifice flies. Baessler added three hits, while Goodmiller, Willow and Martin had two apiece.
Nakamura had two hits and drove in three to lead KWU, while Campbell had two hits and two runs scored. Adriel Guzman had one hit but drew three walks.
KWU starter Jakob Sandoval took the loss, allowing five runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Game 2 --- Kansas Wesleyan 8, McPherson 6
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning, taking advantage of three Coyote errors in the frame. Two runs came across when Fleming reached on a throwing error, while the third came across two batters later when Fleming scored on an RBI double by
Trevor Johnson (San Diego, Calif., Helix HS).
Kansas Wesleyan responded with two runs in the second and two more in the third to grab a 4-3 lead only to see McPherson retake the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Johnson and
Trevor Haycock (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Sr. HS) opened the frame with back-to-back doubles with Haycock moving to third on a fly-out to deep right-center field by Strebin before scoring on a wild pitch by Wyatt Formo.
The lead would be short-lived as the Coyotes plated three in the top of the fifth. The key hit in the frame was a two-run double down the left-field line by Dalton Whitaker. KWU added another run in the sixth as Guzman scored on a Zach Lehman RBI single.
McPherson loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth but the Coyotes were able to get out of the frame with a force-out at home and a double play. The Bulldogs also threatened in the bottom of the seventh, plating one on a Haycock RBI single but ended up leaving two runners on base.
Lehman finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead KWU, while Whitaker added two hits and two RBIs. Guzman also had a pair of hits.
Haycock led McPherson with three hits and a pair of RBIs, while Johnson and Goodmiller posted two hits each.
Formo picked up the win on the mound, allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out two in 4.1 innings. Ryan Cantrell allowed one hit and struck out one en route to a two-out save.
Bailey Porter (Loveland, Colo., Thompson Valley HS) took the loss, allowing three runs without recording an out in the fifth.
With the split, McPherson improves to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the KCAC. Kansas Wesleyan is now 10-4 overall, 1-1 in the KCAC. The rubber match of the three-game series is slated for noon Sunday at Bulldog Park.
