Hesston, Kan. – McPherson College was on the road Thursday to take on the Larks of Hesston College. The Bulldogs aimed to make it three straight wins after splitting their doubleheader against Southwestern Christian last Friday, while Hesston looked for their second win of the year.
The Basics
Location: Bess Mullet Field
Records: MC 6-6, HC 1-15
Game One: MC 10, HC 0
The Bulldogs opened Thursday's doubleheader with a dominant win over the Larks.
Autumn Baker-Foort and
Samantha Hollingsworth combined for the shutout, allowing just one hit in the victory.
McPherson broke the deadlock in the top of the third when
Sophia Walters scored on a sacrifice bunt by
Savannah Robles. The Bulldogs added to their lead in the fourth, using five singles and a pair of Hesston defensive miscues to stretch the advantage to 6-0.
Hesston was unable to respond over the final three innings as McPherson continued to add insurance. The Bulldogs plated four more runs in the top of the seventh, with Walters crossing the plate again. Robles and Hollingsworth also scored following Larks errors, before
Sidney Larrew added the final run in McPherson's 10-0 victory.
Game Two: MC 9, HC 5
McPherson once again struck first in Game Two, plating two runs on a pair of singles in the top of the first inning. Hesston answered with their first run of the day when Alexis Newlin drove in a run on a bunt, cutting the deficit in half.
The Bulldogs extended their lead when Robles scored on an error from the Larks' catcher.
Hailey Shubin followed with a single that brought home
Victoria Thornton, giving McPherson a 4-1 advantage.
McPherson continued to build momentum in the fourth, with
Mackenzie Birch, Robles, and Thornton all crossing the plate to push the lead to 7-1. The Bulldogs added another run in both the fifth and sixth innings, stretching their advantage to eight.
Hesston attempted a late comeback in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on a bases-loaded walk, a single to right field, and an error at second base. However, the rally fell short as McPherson recorded the final out to secure the 9-5 victory.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be back at Bulldog Park on Tuesday for a doubleheader against the Tabor College Bluejays. First pitch for Game One is set for 1:00 PM.
