Photo by Paul Choi
Oklahoma City, Okla. – The McPherson College softball team dropped a pair of close games on day one of the Red Dirt Classic hosted by Langston University.
The games got backed up and the Bulldogs, who were supposed to play their first game at 3:15, finally took the field around 7:00 pm. They took on the Mid-America Christian University out of the Sooner Athletic Conference and fell in a close one, 5-3.
Brandy Trengove was in the circle for the Bulldogs, going the distance and collaring the loss. She allowed five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and four walks. The Bulldog offense actually out hit the Evaangels 10-9, but failed to get enough hits in key moments to drive in more runs. Three Bulldogs finished with multiple hits. Jenna Christensen went 2 for 2 with a walk, a single and a homerun. Destiny Bacon, and Maile Deutsch both went 2 for 4. Both of Bacon's hits were singles, while Deutsch had a double and a homerun.
In the second game, the Bulldogs played the host school, the Langston University Lions. The Bulldogs spotted the Lion three runs in the first inning and then held them scoreless until the sixth. In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs scored a pair of runs to cut the Lions lead to one, 3-2. Unfortunately they gave both of those runs back just a half inning later. Needing three runs to stay in the game, the Bulldogs plated two runs in the top of the seventh to once again cut the lead to a single run. They had runners on first and third with two outs, but were unable to push the tying run across. Langston escaped with a 5-4 victory.
Brittany Baroni was in the circle for the Bulldogs, seeing her first action of the season. She worked five and a third, allowing five runs on ten hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Offensively, the Bulldogs were paced by Maile Deutsch, who was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI, and Brandy Trengove, who was also 3 for 4 with and RBI. Mackenzie Egan also swung the bat well. She finished the game going 2 for 4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI.
With the losses, the Bulldogs are now 3-5 on the season. They will be back on the diamond on Saturday for day two of the classic. They are scheduled to play Lincoln University, a NCAA DII school from Missouri at 3:15, then wrap up the tournament with NAIA national powerhouse, USAO at 4:45.
