@MacCollegeBSB Picks Up Win No. 30 in Season Finale at York

YORK, Neb. (macbulldogs.com) --- The McPherson College baseball closed out its season Saturday afternoon with a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) doubleheader split at Levitt Stadium.

York (23-24, 14-16 KCAC) took game one by a 9-5 score, while McPherson (30-25, 8-22 KCAC) captured the second game, 5-3, to win its program-best 30th game.

Game 1 --- York 9, McPherson 5
McPherson plated the game's first run as Trent Smith (Wellsville, Kan., Wellsville HS) scored on a Brevin Baessler (Tempe, Ariz., Western Nebraska CC) RBI groundout in the first inning and led 4-3 after three innings but could not hold on in the opener.

The Panthers answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning Jake Sola and Billy Damon hit back-to-back home runs. Sola's came a runner on first.

Trevor Johnson (San Diego, Calif., Helix HS) and Smith hit RBI singles in the second inning to tie the game and Mark Strebin (Westville, Ill., Danville Area CC) hit a solo home run in the third to put McPherson up 4-3.

York stranded three without scoring in the their half of the third, then erupted for three runs on three hits in the fourth. Jesse Morales scored on a DB Vidal RBI single and Isaiah Bond added a two-run home run.

The hosts added two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single to right by Travis Turner off Bulldog reliever Jake Herman (San Diego, Calif., Coronado HS) to push their advantage to 8-4.

Each team added a run in the eight. An Evan Willow (Victoria, B.C., Canada, Lambrick Park HS) RBI single was countered by a Dylan Roller home run. The Bulldogs were retired in order in the ninth to end the game.

McPherson out-hit York, 11-10, led by two hits each from Smith, Strebin and Jackson Goodmiller (St. George, Kan., Rock Creek HS). One of Goodmiller's hits was a double. Strebin also scored twice and drove in a run.

Vidal, Damon and Roller all had two hits, while Turner, Bond and Sola each had a hit and two RBIs.

Damon picked up the win on the mound as well, scattering 10 hits and a walk while walking nine in seven innings. Corey Mixon ave up just one hit while collecting a two-inning save.

Javier Saenz (Brighton, Colo., Brighton HS) got the start for McPherson, allowing six runs on six hits and a pair of walks in five innings. He struck out two while being saddled with the loss.

Tyler Dunn (Lawton, Okla., Eisenhower HS) allowed one run on one hit while striking out two over the final two innings.

Game 2 --- McPherson 5, York 3
Josh Lewis (Loveland, Colo., Thompson Valley HS) scattered eight hits and three walks while allowing three runs and striking out five en route to a complete-game win in the Bulldogs' season finale.

McPherson struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning as Trevor Haycock (New Iberia, La., New Iberia Sr. HS) sent the second pitch of the game over the fence in left field. Dominick Ramos (Fresno, Calif., Hartnell College) and Baessler followed with singles to put runners on the corners with Ramos plating the second run when Lane Fleming (Council Grove, Kan., Council Grove HS) grounded into a double play.

Strebin added a solo home run in the second inning to extend the lead to 3-0.

York responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning as Damon and Connor Towle scored on a two-out single to left with the bases loaded.

After a scoreless third, the Panthers tied the game on a Vidal RBI single to center.

That score held until the seventh when - in their final at-bats of the season - the Bulldogs pushed two runs across. Strebin drew a leadoff walk, then scored on an RBI double by Dylan Fontenot (Carencro, La., Carencro HS). Fontenot scored two batters later when Haycock hit into a double play.

York threatened in the bottom of the seventh as Isaiah Bond and Jake Sola reached after being hit by pitches. Lewis worked out of the jam without conceding a run, though, sandwiching a pair of pop-ups around a strikeout.

Ramos accounted for three of McPherson's nine hits and stole a base. Haycock added two hits in his final collegiate game, including the leadoff home run. Strebin had a hit, an RBI, scored twice and drew a walk.

Roller added two hits and drove in a pair. Vidal also had two hits and an RBI.

Tim Emory got the start for York, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk over the first six innings. Casey Wagnon came on to start the seventh and took the loss.

Saturday's doubleheader marked the final games in a Bulldog uniform for the program's six seniors -- Fontenot, Haycock, Willow, Reily Martin (Auburn, Kan., Hayden HS), Kyle Wedel (Wasco, Calif., Taft College) and Treyton DeVore (Inman, Kan., Inman HS).

While postseason play was not in the cards for McPherson, the program reached a handful of milestones in 2018. The team set new single-season program marks for wins (30) and home runs (54) while outscoring their opponents by 78 runs. The Bulldogs also went 16-8 in their inaugural season at Bulldog Park.