McPHERSON, Kan. (MacBulldogs.com) — The McPherson College Bulldogs celebrated Senior Weekend, winning two out of three games against the Sterling College Warriors at Bulldog Park.
GAME ONE – McPherson 16, Sterling 6 (8 innings)
A grand slam by Tyler Gates in the second inning of the opener put the Warriors on top 4-0, but MC answered in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a pair of two-run homers by Jace Essig and Hayden Foster.
Peyton Starr homered to centerfield in the bottom of the third to briefly give the Bulldogs a lead, but a two-RBI triple by Albert Bisono-Rodriguez again gave the Warriors a one-run edge.
But from there, it was all Bulldogs, scoring 11 unanswered runs to pick up the run-rule victory.
Dawson Walters got the offensive burst started in the fifth with a two-run blast to left center, then in the sixth RBI singles by Foster and Starr made it a 9-6 Bulldogs advantage.
JT Edmunds kept the six-run sixth inning going, drawing a walk with the bases loaded, then Colin Evers cleared the bases with a double down the right field line, making it a 13-6 MC lead.
Edmunds walked it off in the bottom of the eighth with a three-run shot to left field, his fourth of the season.
The Bulldogs scored 16 runs on as many hits. Starr and Evers finished with three hits apiece to lead the way for MC, while Walters, Edmunds, Foster, and Artola each added two hits. Edmunds led the team with four RBIs while Evers drove in three runs.
Hayden Casey started on the mound for the Bulldogs and threw two innings, allowing six hits and three runs. Noah Carpenter shined in relief for MC, striking out a career-high eight batters in just three innings pitched.
GAME TWO – McPherson 15, Sterling 14 (8 innings)
In the nightcap of the doubleheader, it was the Bulldogs opening the scoring with a grand slam, this time by Kevinn Castillo in the first inning in his first game back from injury.
A sacrifice fly by Essig drove in Edmunds, then an RBI single by Kainoa Torres put the Bulldogs on top 6-0 after the bottom of the first inning.
Edmunds pushed the lead to 7-0 in the second inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, but that’s when the Warriors started their comeback.
Sterling scored two in the top of the third, but MC answered with a pair of RBI singles through the left side by Evan Morrison and Foster.
The Warrior cut the lead to 9-8 after the fourth inning, after a pair of three-run home runs by Imanol Ramos and Andrew Dutro, then scored six in the top of the fifth to take a 15-14 advantage.
Essig’s second homer of the afternoon sparked the Bulldogs comeback in the fifth inning before a grand slam by Starr pulled the Bulldogs even.
That score would hold until the eighth inning when a sacrifice bunt by Morrison brought Essig home and gave the Bulldogs the walk off victory.
Morrison led the Bulldogs with four hits, while scoring three runs and driving in two. Castillo and Starr finished with a team-high four RBIs. MC finished with 15 hits.
Carson Cornelius drew the start for the Bulldogs and struck out three, while allowing eight runs on eight hits.
GAME THREE – Sterling 9, McPherson 5 (6 innings)
The Warriors grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run single by Dutro, but Essig led off the Bulldogs half of the inning with a solo blast, his third of the series.
MC loaded the bases after the homer before Jorge Olivo was hit by the pitch. Josh Roper made it a 3-2 Bulldog lead, drawing a walk in the very next at-bat.
Sterling leveled the score in the top of the third, but a solo shot to left field by Torres gave the Bulldogs a 4-3 edge.
From there, the Warriors score six unanswered runs, including five runs in the fourth inning.
An RBI double by Essig in the fifth pulled the Bulldogs within 9-5, but storms began to roll in causing the game to be called after the sixth inning.
MC scored five runs on seven hits, led by Essig with two hits and two RBIs.
Jameson Caro threw two innings, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out a pair of batters.
The wins push the Bulldogs into fifth place in the final KCAC regular season standings, and will take on fourth-seeded Ottawa University Wednesday (May 1) at the Great Bend Sports Complex in Great Bend, Kan. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
With a win, the Bulldogs would play Thursday (May 2) at 6:45 p.m. A loss moves the Bulldogs into the loser’s bracket where they would play at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
