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McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College baseball team picked up their first series win of the season, taking two of three games this weekend from Doane University, a team the Bulldogs defeated in last year's NAIA Regional and who is also receiving votes in the NAIA's preseason top 25 coaches poll.
The Bulldogs opened the series on Saturday afternoon with a single nine inning game with a 1:00 pm start time. The Bulldogs and Tigers battled gusty winds, and temps just north of the freezing mark at the start of game one. By the end of the game, the thermometer read a little warmer, but the winds were still howling.
The Bulldogs opened the series with a 5-4 win in extra innings, with the winning run crossing the plate on a bases loaded walk. Ironically the same thing happened last year in the final game of the series when the Tigers and Bulldogs met out at Bulldog Park.
The Bulldogs sent Blake Maddock to the mound for the start in Saturday's opener. He was masterful in his five innings of work, allowing just one run, unearned, on two hits with two walks, and 11 strikeouts. In the first three innings, eight of the ten outs were punch outs by the Bulldog starter. In the sixth inning the Bulldogs went to their bullpen, bringing in Zach Reynolds. Reynolds worked the sixth and seventh innings, giving up three runs on four hits, including one home run with no walks and a trio of strikeouts. Jacob Gilcrease threw in the eighth inning holding the Tigers scoreless on two hits and then turned the ball over to Justin Lockey who pitched in the ninth and tenth innings. Lockey was credited with the win, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard while tallying three strikeouts.
Offensively, the Bulldogs compiled 11 hits, and scored five runs. Two of the Bulldogs' 11 hits went for extra bases, both of them doubles off the bats of Gage Ninness, and Kevinn Castillo. Ninness, James Canar, and Caleb Feuerstake led the charge offensively. Ninness was 3 for 5, Canar 4 for 5 with three runs scored, and Feuerstake went 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. The big hit was a bases clearing double by Castillo in the bottom of the sixth.
Sunday was a much better day weather wise, and the Bulldogs took full advantage in the first game of the day. The offense caught fire right out of the gate and when the dust settled they had scored 15 runs on 19 hits including a pair of homeruns from preseason All-Americans Trevor Johnson and James Canar. They two combined for nine hits with Johnson having a perfect day at the dish, going 6 for 6 with the homerun, two doubles and three RBI. Canar was 3 for 4 with three RBI, and three more runs scored. Caleb Feuerstake continued to swing a hot bat with a 3 for 5 performance that included a double and two RBI.
Alex Escobar picked up his third win of the season on the mound for the Bulldogs in Sunday's game one. He went five innings allowing six runs, four of the earned, on eight hits with zero walks while fanning eight. Robbie Schmidt, Noah Carpenter, Liam Spaw, and Wildomar Roman each pitched an inning out of the bullpen combining for just one run on one hit.
The Bulldogs put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in each of the first four innings, five in the first, three in the second, two in the third, and five more in the fourth. That was all the scoring they needed to clinch the series heading into the finale.
In game three, the Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Bulldogs responded by putting up three of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The Tigers tied the game in the top of the second, but the Bulldogs retook the lead with a run in their at bat. Doane tied the game again in the third then retook the lead 5-4 with a run in the top of the fourth. The Bulldogs put up two in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead 6-5, but were held scoreless the rest of the way. As the sun began to set, the Tigers put up one more run in the top of the seventh to take the lead for the final time 7-6. The Bulldogs couldn't pull off another walk-off hit in their final at bat, and the Tigers escaped with the win to avoid the series sweep.
Drake Miller got the start on the bump in game three. He worked the first three innings giving up four runs on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk. The Bulldogs went to the Bullpen in the fourth inning, calling on Alex Amaral, Nathan Ruble, and Jacob Gilcrease, each for an inning of work. Gilcrease was on the bump for the top of the seventh inning. He surrendered the final run to the Tigers and was collared with the loss.
The Bulldog offense scored their six runs on eight hits, led by Canar and Feuerstake, who were both 2 for 4. Both of Canar's hits were triples and he also scored a run and drove one in.
Coach MacKinnon summed up the series saying, "We had another good test this weekend against a solid Doane team. I thought we played okay throughout the weekend but have yet to have a complete weekend. We continue to learn more about the '22 dogs and make adjustments as needed."
 With the two wins this weekend, the Bulldogs are now 6-4 overall. They are scheduled to be back on the diamond again next Saturday and Sunday in a four game series with the Peru State College Bobcats out at Bulldog Park. Double headers both days are slated to start at 12:00 pm weather permitting. Â
