Great Bend, Kan. – The McPherson College baseball team, moved one step closer to a KCAC conference tournament championship by defeating Bethany College 13-4 in an elimination game on Friday.
The Swedes got on the board first scoring a solo run in the top of the first. Two innings later the Bulldogs finally got on the board when Kris Perez came around to score from first base on an RBI single by Trevor Johnson. The Swedes retook the lead, 2-1, in the next half inning, but in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Bulldogs broke the game open scoring 10 runs and knocking the Swedes' starting pitcher out of the game.
The Dogs opened the inning with a walk by James Canar, then Jake Pearson hit a double to left center field scoring Canar from first base. Next up was Noah Nelson, who hit a two run home run to dead center. With still no outs in the inning, Hunter Robinson doubled down the right field line. After a strikeout by Jonah Shabry, for the first out of the inning, Tyler Wood also homered to straight away center field, putting the Bulldogs up 6-2.
The fun continued for the Dogs. Kris Perez reached base on a walk and then came around to score his second run of the game when Trevor Johnson launched a ball of the center field fence on the first pitch of the at bat. The Swedes went to their bull pen, bringing in a lefty to face Kyle Lux. Lux welcomed the new pitcher to the game with a single to left field. Canar flied out to right field for out number two, but then Jake Pearson got his third hit of the game on a single to right field.
The Swedes went to their pen again, and made a curious substitution. With the left handed hitting Nelson back at the dish, they elected to bring in a right handed pitcher rather than allowing their lefty to face him. Nelson took advantage of the match-up and hit his second home run of the inning, this one a three run shot to right field. Hunter Robinson then flied out to end the inning, but the damage had been done, the Bulldogs had a 10 spot up on the board and a commanding 11-2 lead.
The scored another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Lux, extending the lead to 13-2. After a scoreless sixth and seventh innings, the Swedes tried to rally in the eighth, scoring two runs and cutting the Bulldog lead to 13-4. The rally stalled there, and those would be the final runs scored.
In the end, the Bulldogs scored their 13 runs on 14 hits that included six extra base hits, four homeruns and two doubles. Five Bulldogs recorded multiple hits, led by Pearson, who finished his day going 4 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
On the bump, the Bulldogs employed two pitchers. Blake Maddock got the start, and worked the first four innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks. His replacement in the fifth inning was Zach Reynolds, who went the rest of the way, picking up the win allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Coach Moses summed up the win saying, "Our pitchers did an effective job of making pitches when they needed to. Maddock scattered the 7 hits he gave up and Reynolds cleaned up nicely. We need the bats to stay hot tomorrow."
The win keeps the Bulldogs' hope of a KCAC tournament championship alive for another day, and ties the record for most wins in a season, set back in 2019. They will square off against the Ottawa Braves on Saturday at 1:00 pm in the tournament finals. The Braves are undefeated in the tournament so if the Bulldogs want to take home the title, they will need to defeat the Braves twice on Saturday, starting with the 1:00 pm match-up.
