MIDWEST CITY, Okla. – McPherson High School’s Varsity Baseball team took a lengthy road trip Friday, May 2 to Midwest City, Okla. to face two Oklahoma schools at Carl Albert High School. The Bullpups walked off Noble and pitched a shutout against Carl Albert.
vs. Noble: W 6-5
Before this week, head coach Heath Gerstner had shared that he wanted to see fight out of the team when faced with adversity on the scoreboard. He has now seen and praised the fight out of the Pups for two straight games.
McPherson had a strong start out of the game leading 2-0 after one inning over the Noble (OK) Bears, who had just clinched their district over Carl Albert. Noble had a hot turnaround scoring five runs in the 2nd inning thanks to six hits. The Bullpups got a run back in the second inning thanks to a Carter Allen RBI single to make it 5-3 Noble. Nobody would score for either team until the 7th.
The Bullpups capitalized on timely hits and errors by Noble in the 7th inning. McPherson loaded the bases to lead off the inning. Back to back wild pitches would tie the game at 5-5. After Isaac Barnett was intentionally walked and Cade Strathman reached on a bunt-single, Brenden Doile stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and still no outs. Doile got hit by the first pitch, which drove home the winning run to win the game for McPherson 6-5.
Logan Beede started the game on the mound, allowing the five runs in the second inning. Outside of that second inning, he allowed one hit and no further runs, earning a no-decision. Cowen Huggard threw the final two innings, not allowing a baserunner and striking out two batters, making his first decision of the season a win.
Brock Richardson and Carter Allen each went 3-4 on the game offensively, both earning an RBI. Strathman went 2-4 and Ian Razak hit 1-3 with an RBI.
vs. CARL ALBERT: W 4-0
McPherson had one of their best defensive performances this season against the high-octane offense that Carl Albert has, thanks to some web gems from the McPherson outfield and a complete game shutout by Ian Razak.
The first four innings saw a pitchers’ duel between Razak and Carl Albert’s Declan Murphy as the game remained a scoreless tie. However, the rails started to fall off defensively for the Carl Albert Titans in the 5th inning. With two outs in the inning and runners at first and third base, the Titans committed two errors in one play to score both McPherson runs. The Bullpups kept the 2-0 lead into the 6th, where they scored two more on a one-out bases-loaded single by Brock Richardson. Razak threw the rest of the game, keeping a zero on Carl Albert’s run total, giving McPherson the 4-0 win.
Razak allowed just three hits and two walks in the seven innings he threw, striking out five batters. He also led the team with two hits, going 2-3. Cowen Huggard also went 2-3 on the contest. Richardson had the other hit, which drove home two runs.
The Bullpups are now 18-3 on the season. They will conclude the suspended game at Wichita Collegiate Wednesday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. The game will begin in the top of the 8th inning in a 9-9 tie.
Afterwards, they will have their third and final quad of the season Friday, May 9. They will start at the Grant Sports Complex against Newton at 4:00 p.m., then will play either Great Bend or Junction City.
