McPherson, Kan. – After dropping their weekend doubleheader to Ottawa University on Saturday, the Bulldogs were at home for a matchup with the Bethel College Threshers on Tuesday. McPherson was still looking for their first conference win, while Bethel aimed to find a better result after splitting their weekend matchup with Saint Mary.
The Basics
Location: Bulldog Park
Records: MC 9-15 (KCAC 1-9), BC 9-11 (5-5 KCAC)
Game One: MC 15, BC 16
Game One started quietly with two scoreless innings, but the bats woke up in a big way in the third. Bethel struck first with a pair of two-RBI singles, but McPherson wasted no time with a seven-run inning of their own. Emma Puebla got things rolling with an RBI single to right, and Layla Towner followed by sending one over the fence for a two-run shot. The Bulldogs kept it going from there, highlighted by a bases-clearing triple from Victoria Thornton to take a 7-4 lead.
The fourth inning brought more fireworks, with both teams plating four runs. Andrea Solis and Savannah Robles led the way for McPherson, each driving in two.
Kayla Crocker added to the Bulldogs’ lead in the fifth with a two-run homer, McPherson’s second long ball of the game, before Bethel got one back in the sixth on a single from Kaylee Linnebur.
Up 13-9 heading into the seventh, the Bulldogs looked to put the game to bed, but the Threshers had a late push in them. Bethel chipped away at the lead, eventually taking it on a Linnebur double to make it 14-13.
McPherson had one more answer, as Zoey Christensen delivered a clutch double to left-center to score Aviana Youngbird and send the game to extras.
In the eighth, Bethel capitalized using a sacrifice bunt and a McPherson error to score two and go back in front. The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom half getting an RBI from Thornton to pull within one, but couldn’t find the equalizer as Bethel held on for a wild 16-15 finish.
Game Two: MC 2, BC 1
Game Two was a very different story with just three total runs on the board. McPherson took the lead early thanks to a solo shot from Towner, her second homer of the day.
Thornton added a bit of cushion in the following inning, coming around to score after a miscue behind the plate from Bethel, making it 2-0.
After that, both sides settled in and runs were hard to come by. Bethel finally broke through in the fifth with an RBI single that brought Linnebur home, cutting the deficit in half.
Despite being out-hit and committing an error, McPherson held strong the rest of the way to secure the 2-1 victory, marking the Bulldogs’ first conference win.
