McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College softball team opened up KCAC play on Wednesday at home against the Tabor College Bluejays. The Bulldogs split the double header, falling in game one, 4-0, but then bouncing back in the finale, winning 4-3.
The Bluejays had Madison Byrd in the circle to start the series opener. Byrd is just a couple of years removed from earning KCAC pitcher of the year honors, and now in her senior year, she showed she still has the stuff to be dominant in league play. She shutout the Bulldogs on just three hits, and struck out eight on her way to earning the win.
The Bulldogs countered with Brittany Baroni (R-Jr. Galt, Calif.) in the circle to start game one. Despite battling some tendinitis in her pitching arm, Baroni worked the first three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out three while walking just one. In the fourth inning, the Bulldogs went to their bullpen, bringing in Shelby Bonn (Jr. Shawnee, Kan.). Bonn went the rest of the way, giving up the other two Bluejay runs on five hits. She finished with a pair of strikeouts, and just one walk also.
The Bulldog offense managed just three hits in the opener, two of those came off the bat of Ali Smith (Sr. Lodi, Calif.) and the third was a beautifully executed bunt single by Brandy Trengove (Jr. Wheat Ridge, Colo.).
Raegan Kleppe (Fr. McKinney, Texas) got the nod in the circle for the Bulldogs in game two. She pitched a complete game, holding the Bluejays to three runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts and zero walks. She kept Tabor off the board for the first two innings, but in the top of the third she left a few pitches out over the plate, and the Bluejays hit two singles, and two doubles in the inning that led to three runs. After that inning she settled back in and was dominant the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs finally scored their first runs of the day in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Maile Deutsch (Jr. Palmer, Texas) and then an RBI walk by Jenna Christensen (Jr. Fortuna, Calif.). An inning later, with two outs, Jessica Jones (Sr. Brentwood, Calif.) reached first on an error by the Bluejay first baseman. It would prove to be a huge mistake as it extended the inning for Trengove. On the first pitch she saw, she launched a ball over the left field wall giving the Bulldogs the lead 4-3. It would turn out being the game winner as the Bluejays were unable to add any more runs in the final three innings.
With the split, the Bulldogs are now 12-5 on the season, and 1-1 in KCAC play. They will be back on the diamond on Thursday for a 3:30 match-up with the William Woods University Owls as part of the McPherson College Tournament being hosted by the Bulldogs Thursday and Friday at Wall Park and Bulldog Park.
