Photo by Micah Gilbert
Wichita, Kan. – The McPherson College softball team went on the road, and out of the NAIA on Wednesday in a double header at NCAA DII Newman University.
The Bulldogs got down early in the opener, trailing the Jets 3-0 through three innings. Neither team put up any runs in the fourth inning, but in the fifth, the momentum began shifting in favor of the Bulldogs. They got off the schneid with a pair runs in the fifth, tied the game with another run in the sixth, then blew the game wide open with an eight spot in the final inning, to take game one, 11-3.
Raegan Kleppe (Fr. McKinney, Texas) continues to improve in the circle each time out. She got the start against the Jets in game one, and went the distance, allowing three runs on nine hits. She threw all of her pitches for strikes and finished with four strikeouts and zero walks.
Offensively, the Bulldogs plated 11 runs on 14 hits, with six of those hits going for extra bases. Five Bulldogs recorded multiple hits against the Jets, led by Jessica Jones (Sr. Brentwood, Calif.) who went 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jenna Christensen had a good game from the dish as well, with a 2 for 3 performance that included two doubles and two RBI. The big hit came off the bat of Maile Deutsch (Jr. Palmer, Texas), a two run home run in the seventh inning that broke the tie and started the eight run rally.
In game two, the Jets found their bats, and salvaged a split with the Bulldogs, winning the nightcap 9-5. They jumped out early on the Bulldogs again, leading 3-1 after the second inning. The added three more in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-1, before the Bulldogs mounted a comeback with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately, the defense couldn't keep the Jets off the scoreboard giving up two runs to the home team in the bottom of the fifth, and another run in the sixth. Trailing 9-4 heading into the seventh, the Bulldogs tried to rally again, but were only able to plate one run.
Brittany Baroni (Jr. Galt, Calif.), who is still trying to find her rhythm after coming back from an injury that had her sidelined for the start of the season, got the start in the circle in game two. She worked the first three innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with one strikeout. After Baroni was lifted in the fourth, the final three innings were thrown by Shelby Bonn (Jr. Shawnee, Kan.), and Katy Wilson (Jr. Princeton, Texas). The two combined for four runs on eight hits, no strikeouts and one free pass.
The Bulldog offense cooled down considerably in game two. They managed to score five runs, but did so on just six hits. Deutsch was the only Bulldog to record more than one hit. She finished the game going 2 for 4 with a homerun and three RBI. The other big hit was a solo home run by Christensen, who was 1 for 2 with a walk and one RBI.
"I was proud of the kids fight today," said Bulldog head coach Tony Segovia. "We got down early in both games and continued to battle back and come up with a split on the road against a good team."
With the split, the Bulldogs are now 9-4 on the season. They will be back in action this weekend, heading back down to Langston Oklahoma for a pair of games in the Langston Classic. They will take on Mid America Christian University at 11 a.m. on Saturday, then finish up with the host school in the 3 p.m. game.
