McPherson, Kan – Following their midweek victory over Hastings College, the Bulldogs took on the Saint Ambrose Bees in a weekend series. Despite having troubles with the weather on Saturday, the two teams were able to manage three games with the Bees leaving with the series victory.
The Basics
Location: TC Construction Field at Bulldog Park
Records: MC 3-8, SAU 3-4
Game One: MC 5, SAU 6
In the first game of this series, it was an incredibly competitive outing between these two teams. Hudson La Barbera got the start on the mound in a misty afternoon and threw exceptionally well through the three innings he had pitched for. La Barbera gave up just one run off one hit and issued three strikeouts on 16 batters faced. The first run of the ballgame came after Will Sevier singled out to center field in the bottom of the second, sending Jared Kramp across the plate for the 1-0 lead.
One of the biggest highlights of this first game was when Francisco Paradis had come into the game to pitch for La Barbera with bases loaded in the top of the fourth. After La Barbera had given up just one run in the pinch, Paradis would strike out the next three batters and not allow a single run from the Bees with the game tied at 1-1.
With the sides taking jabs at the lead through the next four innings of action, the Bulldogs took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth after scoring three runs sparked by a Myles Vazquez single that sent home Ky’Rell Taylor that tied the game 3-3. Kramp and Troy Stukenberg would bat home the next two runs to take the lead late in the game.
The Bees would go on to score three runs of their own in the top of the ninth to retake the lead. With the Bulldogs unable to answer in the bottom half, the visitors escaped Game One with a 6-5 victory.
Game Two: MC 22, SAU 2
On Sunday morning for Game Two, it was all McPherson College as the Bulldogs put up 18 hits to score 22 runs; this would ultimately put the run rule into action which cut the game short in the seventh inning.
McPherson’s most productive inning would be in the third where they drove home nine runs to add onto their mountainous lead of 17-0. There were three bulldogs that finished the game with three hits in this contest, but the senior Ky’Rell Taylor had himself a day going 3-5 at the plate and batting home five runs, crossing the plate once himself.
On the mound, Daniel Norris was lights out for six of the seven innings played issuing 12 strikeouts and allowing just two hits; the lone run that was scored on him was unearned in the sixth inning.
The Bulldogs would take Game Two by way of 22-2 and knotted the series up at 1-1 heading into Game Three.
Game Three: MC 1, SAU 6
The story of Game Three was written by the Bees’ pitcher, Dominic Guzman. The senior allowed just four hits and one run in his six innings on the mound; he slowed down the Bulldogs enough to allow the visitors to put up four runs compared to McPherson’s one run scored in the fifth.
Kadin Gehring threw five innings for the Bulldogs and had a decent showing as he allowed just two runs to score off six hits; both of these runs were found in the fifth inning after four innings of scoreless baseball.
Each side managed just five hits on the opposition, but the Bees were able to plate six runs and take the series back to Iowa with a 6-1 Game Three win over the Bulldogs.
Up Next
McPherson will hit the road this week as they take on the Warriors of Sterling College this Friday and Saturday for a three-game series. They’ll have a single nine-inning game on February 20th at 1:00 PM followed by a doubleheader on February 21st beginning at 12:00 PM.
