[Baseball] Bulldogs strike late to win series opener over Baseball Falcons

WICHITA, Kan. – The McPherson College Bulldogs snapped a 2-2 tie with runs in the eighth and ninth innings to take the opening game of a three-game set 4-2 over the Friends University Falcons today (Mar. 10) at West Side Athletic Field.

The Bulldogs plated the eventual winning run when Hayden Foster crossed the plate on a passed ball with two outs in the eighth inning.

Friends reliever Keagan Alejo (SO/Waco, Texas) got a strikeout to strand two runners, but the Bulldogs added a big insurance tally with a two-out, two-run double by Andres Artola in the ninth.

With runs hard to come by for both offenses much of the way, the Falcons trailed by a run on two separate occasions and managed to tie the score each time.

Down 1-0 in the fourth, Niquan Benjamin (SO/US Virgin Islands) doubled home Buster Hardman (JR/American Fork, Utah) to pull the Falcons even.

After Gage Ninness singled in the go-ahead run for the Bulldogs in the seventh, Caleb Coats (SO/Katy, Texas) answered for the Falcons in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single that chased home Sam Engberg (JR/Kearney, Neb. ) to create another gridlock.

Nolan Crumrine (SO/Sedgwick, Kan.) started and turned in seven solid innings for the Falcons (9-10, 3-3 KCAC), allowing one earned run with five strikeouts and four walks.

Blake Maddock was also effective for the Bulldogs (11-7, 5-1 KCAC), going six innings and giving up one run along with six strikeouts and just one walk. Rob Schmidt pitched the next two innings and surrendered one run to be credited with the win, with Matt Whitney picking up the save after striking out two batters and leaving the tying runs on base in a scoreless ninth inning for McPherson.

Benjamin went 2-of-4 at the plate for the Falcons.

The Bulldogs sported a balanced offensive attack, getting two hits from four different players.

The Falcons and Bulldogs will play a doubleheader starting at noon tomorrow (Mar. 11) to conclude the series.