McPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson College Bulldogs grabbed a pair of wins over the York University Panthers this weekend at Bulldog Park to win their fourth series of the season.
GAME ONE – MC 8, YU 7
The Panthers grabbed an early lead, scoring four runs in the first and two more in the second. MC cut into that lead, getting on the board in the second thanks to a sacrifice fly by Hayden Foster, then added three more in the third to make it a 6-4 Panther advantage.
Colin Evers singled to right field to bring Kevinn Castillo around to score, then an RBI single by Foster scored Dawson Walters. Evers scored on a passed ball to finish off the scoring in the third.
The Panthers pushed their lead to 7-4, but from there the comeback was on as the Bulldogs scored four unanswered runs to grab the win.
An RBI single to centerfield by Castillo in the fourth sparked the comeback, then a triple by Jorge Olivo brought Jace Essig home in the sixth. Andres Artola kept the sixth inning going with an RBI single to centerfield, scoring Olivo, tying the score at 7-7.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the seventh before Peyton Starr drew a walk, scoring Foster who would prove to be the game-winning run.
MC scored 8 runs on 13 hits as six Bulldogs finished with two hits apiece. Foster drove in a team-high two runs.
Ethan Alexander came on in relief and finished the game throwing four hitless innings with six strikeouts, and holding the Panthers to no runs.
GAME TWO – YU 4, MC 0
The Panthers got their offense going in the nightcap, scoring two runs in the second inning, and two more in the fifth to mount a 4-0 lead.
Ian Heck made the start for the Panthers, and held the Bulldogs to just three hits while striking out nine batters.
GAME THREE – MC 12, YU 2
The Bulldogs led early in the rubber match, benefitting from three Panther errors in the second inning to score a pair of runs. Kainoa Torres singled to right field to put the Bulldogs on the board. Then pinch-runner Evan Morrison later scored on an error to make it a 2-0 MC lead.
The Panthers cut the lead in half in the third, but MC responded with six runs in the bottom half of the inning to take control.
An RBI double by Foster got the inning going, scoring Artola and Castillo, then Torres reached on an error that allowed Foster to come home. Starr kept things going with a single to right field, bringing two more to the plate and making it a 7-1 Bulldog lead. Another error by the Panthers allowed Olivo to score and finish off the inning.
The Bulldogs added two more in the sixth, when Artola and Walters scored on two separate passed balls, but the Panthers stopped the burst with a sacrifice fly by Ryan Romero to make it a 10-2 MC advantage.
McPherson finished off the run rule, after a pair of RBI singles by Castillo and Artola each scored a run.
Castillo and Artola each finished with three hits apiece, while Essig added two hits, an RBI, and two runs scored. The Bulldogs scored 12 runs on 13 hits.
The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday (Mar. 19) when they travel to Ottawa University. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
