McPHERSON, Kan. – McPherson High School Varsity Baseball hosted their third and final quad of the season Friday, May 9, ending the day 2-0 and extending their win streak to five.
vs. NEWTON: W 8-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
| Newton: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||
| McPherson: | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
The Bullpups opened the quad against Newton, who entered 4-17 on the season but won two of their previous three games. McPherson had a great start immediately, scoring on two hits and two Newton errors to lead 3-0 after one inning. They added two more runs in the 3rd after Brody Seidl’s leadoff hit turned into two extra bases after a throwing error on a stolen base attempt. Carter Allen drove Seidl home on a sacrifice fly then Brock Richardson reached via a one-out walk before scoring on an error.
Newton did not have a single baserunner in the first time through the batting order, but finally reached base with back-to-back hits to lead off the top of the 4th. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with no outs. Logan Beede struck out the next batter, but Newton’s Tyler Frantz drove two runs home on a single to left field. Two straight outs ended the frame with a 5-2 McPherson lead. The Bullpups got a run back with back-to-back hits with two outs with Carter Bengtson driving home the run to make it 6-2 McPherson.
The Newton Railroaders then blew the door open in the sixth inning. After Cowen Huggard struck out the first batter, Newton’s offense caught fire with three hits, a walk, and two hits-by-pitch to take the lead 7-6.
The score remained the same going into the bottom of the 7th inning until Seidl smashed his third hit into left field for a one-out double. One pitch later, Seidl tried to steal third and the throw to third base was overthrown to left field, bringing Seidl to the plate to tie the game. Carter Allen and Brock Richardson would walk back to back and after a stolen base by each player, Newton would walk Ian Razak intentionally. Three pitches later, Isaac Barnett would single to left field to drive home the winning run and win the game 8-7 for McPherson.
Cade Strathman got the win on the mound after retiring the side in order in the top of the 7th inning. Starting pitcher Logan Beede, who was honored earlier in the day as All Schools Day royalty, threw five complete innings allowing two runs on three hits and striking out four batters.
Seidl led going 3-4 with a double, three stolen bases, and three runs. Barnett went 2-4 with 3 RBI’s, Bengtson, Razak, and Allen had an RBI, and Brock Richardson ended 0-2 but walked twice, stole three bases, and scored two runs.
vs. GREAT BEND: W 5-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
| Great Bend: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| McPherson: | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | X | 5 | 10 | 1 |
The first time McPherson faced Great Bend this season was in their first quad on April 22, which saw Great Bend pummeling McPherson 15-0 in four innings. This time around, the Bullpups held the Panthers’ bats to just one hit while hitting around Great Bend as well. McPherson saw the same pitcher who faced them the first time around, Carson Umphres, but this time he allowed nine of the team’s 10 hits in five innings.
After a first inning pitchers’ duel, McPherson had back-to-back hits with a leadoff double by Ian Razak and an RBI single by Carter Bengtson. The score stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the 4th, when the Bullpups tacked on two more across the plate with three hits including an RBI single by Brenden Doile.
McPherson then added much-needed cushion with a three hit 5th, which also saw a two-run single by Razak and an RBI single by Bengtson. After Ian Razak threw five innings allowing just one hit, Carter Allen came in to pitch. Allen did not allow a single baserunner in the final two innings, ending the game with a shutout 5-0 victory and a combined one-hitter.
Razak struck out seven batters in five innings, earning himself the win on the mound. He also went 3-3 offensively with two RBI’s. Seidl, Bengtson, and Doile earned two hits apiece and Isaac Barnett picked up the other hit.
McPherson is now 20-3 on the season. They will face Buhler at home for youth night and senior night Tuesday, May 13. McPherson will need to win both games against the Crusaders to clinch a share of the AVCTL Div. 3 title. Afterwards, the Pups will close the regular season with the conclusion of April 28th’s second game at Wichita Collegiate which was suspended due to darkness then postponed due to inclement weather.
