ATCHISON, Kan. — In their final non-conference doubleheader, the Bulldogs salvaged a split to No. 20-ranked Benedictine College Saturday afternoon, winning game two 5-4 after falling in the first game.
GAME ONE – Benedictine 13, McPherson 0 (5 innings)
Hits and runs were hard to come by for the Bulldogs in the opener, as MC was held to just three singles.
The Ravens on the other hand and no trouble putting numbers on the board, scoring one in the first and two in the third before exploding for a 10-spot in the fourth. Benedictine had six hits in the massive fourth inning.
Savannah Robles, Layla Towner, and Mackenzie Birch each finished with one hit for the Bulldogs.
GAME TWO – McPherson 5, Benedictine 4
The nightcap could not have been more different for the Bulldogs as Megan Wright drove in Towner with an RBI single. Towner reached on a double just before Wright stepped to the plate.
However, the Bulldogs weren't done yet, breaking the bats out in the top of the fourth. Karisa Hernandez led off the inning with a walk before advancing to third when Alivia Lange doubled down the left field line. Hernandez would score on a sacrifice fly by Towner.
The real fireworks came later in the fourth inning when Sidney Larrew hit her second homer of the season, a three-run shot to push the Bulldogs lead to 5-0.
But the Ravens showed why they were ranked 20th in the country, cutting into the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Riley Kennedy. In the sixth, the Ravens again continued to claw their way back, adding two more.
Clinging to a 5-3 advantage heading into the seventh, the Bulldogs kept the ball in the hands of starting pitcher Landri Lopez, but a leadoff walk by Chloe Strickland followed by a RBI by Amanda Waymire added to the drama. However, Lopez forced a groundout the very next at-bat to hand the Bulldogs their first ranked win since Mar. 16, 2024.
Lopez was excellent in the circle for the Bulldogs, allowing just four runs in seven innings of work. Offensively the Bulldogs finished with six hits led by Wright with a pair of singles. Towner and Lange each finished with one double, while Larrew's lone base hit was the three-run blast.
The Bulldogs return to McPherson as they open KCAC play Tuesday (Mar. 11) against Tabor College at Bulldog Park. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
