McPHERSON, Kan. — The Andale/Garden Plain softball team dropped its first two games of the season on Monday at the Grant Sports Complex.
McPherson took game one, 7-1, before rallying back twice in the nightcap for a 6-5 victory, thanks to a 3-run walk-off home run by Rylie Whitfield.
In game one, McPherson took the lead in the bottom of the third on an sacrifice fly from Whitfield. The Lady Bullpups scored twice in the fifth on an RBI single by Whitfield and an RBI single by Ashlyn Schroeder. Andale/Garden Plain scored its lone run in the sixthon a sacrifice fly by Paige Stanhope. McPherson tacked onto its lead with four in the sixth, an RBI single by Brooke Doile, an RBI single by Pera Bauer and a 2-run single by Whitfield.
Carmin Pavlovich earned the win in the circle for McPherson, pitching a complete game, allowing one run on one hit and 11 strikeouts. Clare Krier took the loss for Andale/Garden Plain, going five innings, allowing three runs on six hits and had one strikeout. Abby Durham had Andale/Garden Plain’s lone hit. Whitfield led McPherson by going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.
In game two, Andale/Garden Plain struck first in the third with a solo home run by Emily Eck. Lexi Brasser made it 2-0 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly. Eck struck again in the fifth with her second home run to make it 3-0. McPherson responded with three in the fifth, an RBI double by Kynadi Huggard and a 2-run single by Schroeder. Andale/Garden Plain regained the lead in the seventh with a 2-run home run by Brooklyn Sele. McPherson would rally again, getting a lead off single by Bauer and a walk by Huggard before Whitfield delivered with the walk-off 3-run home run.
Schroeder earned the win in the circle for McPherson, going all seven innings, allowing five runs on four hits and five strikeouts. Whitfield led McPherson going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Ryin Gibbins took the loss for Andale/Garden Plain, going 6 ⅓ innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and one strikeout. Eck went 2-for-3 with two home runs.
Andale/Garden Plain (6-2) is off until next Monday when it travels to Mulvane. McPherson (7-3) travels to Circle on Friday.
