OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — With just three outs remaining, the McPherson College Bulldogs held an 8-5 lead, but the No. 18-ranked Mid-America Christian Evangels stormed back with four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 9-8 Tuesday (Apr. 16) in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Bulldogs finished with a season-high 20 hits, but scored just eight runs. All nine batters in the Bulldogs' starting lineup recorded at least one hit, led by Peyton Starr, who finished 4-for-5 at the plate. JT Edmunds and Hayden Foster each had three hits. Jace Essig finished with a pair of doubles.
MACU loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs, then Noel McGarry-Doyle doubled down the left field line, clearing the bases and knotting the score. Then with two outs and the bases loaded again, Marcus Burton singled up the middle to walk it off.
Carson Cornelius made the start for the Bulldogs and threw four innings, allowing just five hits and two runs. Brayden Noland threw 1.2 hitless innings in relief with one strikeouts.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Andres Artola flew out to centerfield, driving in Evan Morrison. But the Evangels answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, including a homer by D'Andre Gaines.
MC regained the lead in the second after an RBI single up the middle by Morrison brought Luke Nordean around to score. Then, in the third, a double to left field by Essig scored Dawson Walters, pushing the Bulldog lead to 4-2.
The Evangels added one in the third, but an RBI single by Artola made it a two run advantage once again in the fourth inning.
MACU erased the lead with one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings, but again the Bulldogs answered with an RBI double by Edmunds in the seventh, an RBI single up the middle by Starr in the eighth, and a single down the left field line by Morrison in the ninth to put the Bulldogs on top 8-5.
The Bulldogs are on the road for the final time in the regular season, traveling to Wichita, Kan. to take on Friends University starting Friday (Apr. 19). First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
