HILLSBORO, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) ---
Trevor Haycock (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Sr. HS) led the McPherson College baseball team with six hits, including a home run, but the Bulldogs could not pull out a win Friday afternoon in a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) doubleheader at Tabor College.
The Bluejays (27-14, 18-5 KCAC) took game one, 11-6, and game two by a 7-2 score.
Game 1 --- Tabor 11, McPherson 6
McPherson jumped out to an early as Haycock drew a walk to lead off the game, then came around when
Dominick Ramos (Fresno, Calif., Hartnell College) launched a two-run home run to left. The Bulldogs had an opportunity to add to their lead in the second inning as
Jakob Shields (DeSoto, Kan., DeSoto HS) was hit by a pitch with two outs and moved to third on a Haycock double down the right-field line, but Ramos popped out to short to end the inning.
Tabor drew even with two runs in the second on a Jaden Alsop sacrifice fly and a Dominic Visentin RBI double, then plated five in the third to take a 7-2 lead. Freddy Walker smacked a two-run home run to provide the big hit in the frame.
Reily Martin (Auburn, Kan., Hayden HS) countered Walker's big fly with a two-run shot of his own in the fourth. The Bluejays plated another run in the bottom half of the frame as Abdiel Alicea Diaz came in on a Jaxson Hooge RBI double.
After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning, McPherson scored twice in the seventh to cut the Tabor advantage to 8-6. A
Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS) lead-off single and walks to
Isaac Taylor (Cheyenne, Wyo., Western Nebraska CC) and
Brevin Baessler (Tempe, Ariz., Western Nebraska CC) loaded the bases before an out was recorded. Bluejay reliever Darrick Watts got a pair of strikeouts before Martin rapped a two-run double down the left-field line.
A three-run home run to right off the bat of William Clark in the eighth inning provided the final margin, although, the Bulldogs were able to load the bases with two outs in the ninth before Haycock flew out to center to end the game.
Haycock and Fleming finished with three hits apiece, while Martin had two hits and four RBIs.
Mark Strebin (Westville, Ill., Danville Area CC) also had two hits for McPherson.
Clark had a triple and a home run, drove in four and scored three times to lead the Bluejays. Cameron Pope had three hits, including a double, while driving in one and scoring three times. Hooge and Visentin both had two doubles and an RBI.
Nathan Arruda grabbed the win, striking out six over six innings while allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks.
Garrett Connor (Highlands Ranch, Colo., Arapahoe HS) got the start and the loss for the Bulldogs, conceding seven runs on seven hits and three walks in three innings.
Cameron Oram (Cody, Wyo., Cody HS) came on in relief to start the fourth, striking out four in 4 1/3 innings while allowing three runs on five hits and four walks.
Game 2 --- Tabor 7, McPherson 2
The Bluejays grabbed a 4-0 lead in game two, plating one in the first on a Hooge RBI single and three more in the second on a McPherson error and RBI hits by Walker and Hooge.
McPherson got on the board in the fifth as
Hunter Dreiling (Goddard, Kan., Eisenhower HS) scored on a Haycock RBI single. Tabor countered with a run in the bottom half of the frame as Hooge stole reached on an infield single, moved to second on a Pope single through the left side, stole third and then came home when
Trevor Johnson's (San Diego, Calif., Helix HS)Â attempt to throw him out missed the mark.
The Bluejays pushed two more runs across in the sixth on a Visentin RBI single and a Walker RBI double.
Haycock hit a solo homer with two down in the seventh to provide the final margin.
Mitchell McIntyre went six innings, striking out seven while scattering four hits and a walk to get the win. Tommy Sleva threw the seventh, striking out the side while conceding just the homer to Haycock.
Josh Lewis (Loveland, Colo., Thompson Valley HS) took the loss for McPherson, striking out six while allowing 11 hits and a pair of walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Haycock collected three of McPherson's five hits and both of the team's RBIs. Baessler and Martin each added singles.
Hooge had three hits and two RBIs to lead Tabor, while Walker added two hits, two RBIs and scored a run and Alicea Diaz had two hits, stole a base and scored three times.
The Bulldogs (27-18, 6-15 KCAC) and Bluejays will complete the three-game series at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon with a single nine-inning game in Hillsboro.
