McPherson, Kan. – After a disappointing weekend on the diamond, the McPherson College baseball team bounced back with a double header sweep of crosstown rival Central Christian College.
The Bulldogs got off to a slow start in game one, trailing the Tigers 1-0 after two innings of play. The Bulldogs broke through in the bottom of the third inning taking the lead on a pair of runs. In the bottom of the fifth, Mac broke the game open scoring five runs then added five more in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 12-1. The Tigers were unable to score any additional runs so the score remained 12-1 giving the Bulldogs their 17th win of the season.
Trevor Lott (Fr. Fresno, Calif.) was the Bulldog starter in the opener, going three innings and allowing the lone Tiger run on two hits. Lott didn't pitch enough innings to factor into the decision, instead the win went to Brett Carter (Sr. Sachse, Texas), who pitched innings four, five and six, holding the Tigers scoreless and hitless with five strikeouts.
The Bulldog offense, once it got going in the third inning, was efficient, scoring 12 runs on 13 hits. James Canar (So. Longmont, Colo.) had himself a day at the dish against the Tigers. He was a perfect 3 for 3 with two homeruns, and five RBI. Noah Nelson (Jr. Danville, Ill.) was also feeling it. He finished with a 3 for 4 performance that included three singles, leading to two RBI.
In the second game, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, but the Tigers scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom half of the inning with four runs of their own to retake the lead 5-3. They added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings, finishing off the Tigers 7-3.
Isaiah Vasquez (Jr. Montebello, Calif.) was the Bulldog starter in game two. He worked the first three innings, shutting out the Tigers on one hit. In the fourth, the Bulldogs went to their bullpen and brought in Garrett Ham (Sr. Albuquerque, N.M.). Ham went the rest of the way, giving up three runs on two hits in earning the win.
Offensively, the Bulldogs plated seven runs on eight hits, including homeruns from Kyle Lux (Sr. Lewes, Del.), and Justin Risdall (Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.). Six of the eight Bulldog hit came off the bats of Risdall, Bo Slaymaker (So. Johnston, Colo.), and Trevor Johnson (Jr. San Diego, Calif.). Risdall was a perfect 2 of 2, while Slaymaker went 2 for 3, and Johnson finished 2 for 4.
The wins move the Bulldogs to 18-7 on the season, while their crosstown rivals drop to 7-18. The Bulldogs will return to the diamond this weekend, when they go on the road to take on KCAC foe Avila University in a three game series. The Bulldogs and Eagles will play a double header on Saturday staring at 1 p.m. and then finish up the series with a single nine inning game on Sunday at 12 p.m.
