Photo by Micah Gilbert
Sterling, Kan. – The McPherson College baseball team went on the road for the first time in 2020 and defeated the Sterling College Warriors 19-3, keeping them undefeated in KCAC play.
Tyler Norris (R-SO. Arvada, Colo.), was masterful out of the pen, picking up the win after Trevor Lott (Fr. Fresno, Calif.) struggled in his first KCAC start on the mound. Lott went an inning and two-thirds, allowing three runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks. Norris worked the next three and a third, holding the Warriors scoreless on just two hits. He had four strikeouts and issued just two free passes. For the final two innings, the Bulldogs went to pen again and brought in Isaiah Vasquez (Jr. Montabello, Calif.) to close the door. Vasquez faced the minimum six batters in the two innings he worked. He finished with no runs, no hits, no walks and two strikeouts. His only blemish was hitting one of the Warrior hitters he faced. It turned out ok as he was erased when the next Warrior hitter grounded into a 6-3 double play to end the game.
The Bulldog offense got off to a slow start trailing the Warriors 3-0 through two innings, and not registering a hit until the top of the third inning. Jakob Shields (Sr. DeSoto, Kan.) got the Bulldogs off the schneid when he singled to right field with one out. He would later score the Bulldogs' first run when the pitcher tried to pick him off at third base, but threw the ball into foul territory down the third base line. Though they were only able to score the one run in the third, it got things rolling, and an inning later the flood gates would open.
Malik Bond (Jr. Macon, Ga.) opened the fourth with a single up the middle, but was picked off / caught stealing. With one out, the Bulldogs rattled off five hits, all of them singles, got a little help on another wild throw by the Warrior pitcher, and passed ball by the catcher, and took a 4-3 lead. But they weren't finished. After a ground out by Jonah Shabry (Jr. Boulder Creek, Calif.), Trevor Johnson (Jr. San Diego, Calif.) doubled to left center field. Kyle Lux (Sr. Lewes, Del.) was up next, and he has been on a tear recently. On Saturday he hit three homeruns, tying the single season record, against the St. Mary Spires. On Tuesday, he broke that record, going opposite field and launching a moon shot over the right field wall, his thirteenth of the season. When the dust settled, the Bulldogs had scored seven runs in the inning and led the Warriors 8-3.
They kept their foot on the gas in the fifth inning, putting up six more runs, highlighted by another opposite field homerun, this one a two run jack from Bond. Leading 14-3 after five innings of play, the Bulldogs scored five more runs, on four hits, in the top of the sixth just for good measure. In all, the Bulldogs plated 19 runs on 16 hits, with five of them going for extra-bases. The Bulldogs were led by Bond, who was 3 for 4 with a homerun, three RBI, and a run scored, and Kris Perez (Sr. Miramar, Fla.) who went 3 for 5 with a stolen base, three RBI, and three runs scored.
The win puts the Bulldogs at 16-4 overall through the first 20 games. Last season at this time, they were 12-8 and ended up finished the season with a program best 36 wins. This year they are on pace to eclipse that mark and win 40+. Next up for the Bulldogs is a three game series this weekend at home against the Ottawa University Braves. The festivities kick off with a double header on Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m., and wrap up with a single nine inning game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
