Photo by Jakob Komel
Miami Gardens, Fla. – The McPherson College baseball team fell in their first game in the NAIA Opening Round this morning to Webber International University 13-6.
The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, then made it 2-0 in their next at bat. The Bulldogs got on the board and took the lead in the bottom or the fourth with three runs. James Canar scored from third on a wild pitch, then Noah Nelson hit a two run homerun to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. The Warriors then scored four unanswered runs, two in the top of the fifth and two in the top of the sixth to retake the lead 6-3.
The Bulldogs responded again in the bottom of the sixth. Nelson hit another two run shot to make the score 6-5, then Caleb Feuerstake hit an RBI single that drove in Jonah Shabry to tie the game at six. Unfortunately, that is where the wheels started to come off. After two innings of no scoring, the Warriors put up seven runs in the top of the ninth to blow the game open. The Bulldogs were unable to come back a third time and the Warriors advanced with a 13-6 victory.
Blake Maddock got the start for the Bulldogs on the mound. He went four and a third, allowing four runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Justin Lockey, Nathan Ruble, and Broc Selstron all saw action out of the bullpen, Selstrom was ultimately collared with the loss.
Offensively, the Bulldogs pounded out 13 hits off the bats of seven different hitters. Six of those recorded multiple hits, led by Gage Ninness who went 4 for 5 with four singles. Nelson's two bombs were the only extra base hits for the Bulldogs against the Warriors.
"Tough day one for us," said Coach MacKinnon. Â "I thought there were many highlights throughout, including battling back from multiple runs twice. Overall though, on this stage we just weren't sharp enough. Looking to build on the positives heading into tomorrow to try and fight to continue our season."
The NAIA Opening Round is a double elimination tournament, so the Bulldogs will be back on the diamond tomorrow at 10:00 am in an elimination game against either #1 St. Thomas University, or #4 Middle Georgia State.
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