Bethany Takes Series Opener Against @MacCollegeBSB

McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College baseball team fell to rival Bethany College, 11-3, Friday afternoon at Bulldog Park in the opening game of a three-game Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) weekend series.

The teams played two scoreless innings before McPherson (28-20, 6-17 KCAC) broke through for three runs in the home half of the third inning. Jackson Goodmiller (St. George, Kan., Rock Creek HS) led off the frame with a single to shallow left and later scored on a Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS) sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. The next batter, Evan Willow (Victoria, B.C., Canada, Lambrick Park HS), hit a two-run single to center.

Bethany (22-22, 10-14 KCAC) countered with two runs in the fourth on Apdiel Vazquez two-run double, then took the lead with five more in the fifth. Tyler Horchem had an RBI single, while Mike Lowery drew a bases loaded walk and later scored from third on a successful double steal in a first-and-third situation. Vazquez also had a two-run single.

The Bulldogs stranded two runners each in the fifth and sixth innings and could not cut into the Bethany advantage.

Horchem added a 3-run home run in the eighth and Sean Anderson drew another bases loaded walk in the ninth to extend their lead to 11-3.

McPherson got two-out singles from Trent Smith (Wellsville, Kan., Wellsville HS) and Dominick Ramos (Fresno, Calif., Hartnell College) in the last of the ninth, but a fly-out by Fleming ended the game.

Bethany starter Edwar Melendez got the win, throwing six strong innings. He allowed just the three third-inning runs while scattering six hits and two walks in a 10-strikeout performance. 

"Melendez threw well today," said head coach Bryan Moses. "He brought the game to us and forced us to get hits, and we weren't able to."

Jimmy Yandell struck out one and allowed just two hits in three scoreless innings of work to get the save.

Horchem finished with three hits, four RBIs and three runs scored, while Vazques also drove in four. Anderson (three) and leadoff Heriberto Rosa (two) also had multiple hits and scored two runs each.

Bethany's batters were also patient at the plate, drawing a total of seven walks.

McPherson starter Josh Lewis (Loveland, Colo., Thompson Valley HS) took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in 4 2/3 innings. Jake Herman (San Diego, Calif., Coronado HS) allowed one hit in 2 1/3 innings of relief work, while Mitchell Ludinich (Chelsea, Okla., Braggs HS) and Jay Hill (Wichita, Kan., Campus HS) threw an inning apiece.

Willow had two hits and two RBIs, while Ramos added a pair of hits. 

Due to forecasted rain for McPherson County, no games will be played on Saturday. The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. It is also Senior Day for the McPherson College baseball program. Six Bulldog seniors -- Treyton DeVore (Inman, Kan., Inman HS), Dylan Fontenot (Carencro, La., Carencro HS), Trevor Haycock (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Sr. HS), Reily Martin (Auburn, Kan., Hayden HS), Kyle Wedel (Wasco, Calif., Taft College) and Willow -- will be honored prior to the first game of Sunday's twin bill.