Baseball | 2/13/2018 9:32:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 Goodwell, Okla.—The Aggies fell to McPherson College over their four-game home series Sunday and Monday at Aggie Field. The Aggies battled hard over their four, seven-inning games but could not overcome the Bulldogs (0-10; 6-10; 5-9; 7-8).

Fiercely cold temperatures and gusty winds surrounded Aggie field over the weekend, but both teams braved the weather for their four-game series. On Sunday, McPherson began game one with a hot hitting streak that would lead to them scoring six of their unanswered accumulated runs within the first inning. The Bulldogs caught on quickly to the pitches of senior Josh Casillas and took their opportunity, bringing in six RBIs off six singles, a double and a homerun. The Aggies remained quiet, going three-up three down in the first three innings. A single to left center added another RBI for the Bulldogs in the top of the fourth, bringing the score 7-0, Bulldogs. The Aggies got a runner on to start the bottom of the fourth with a single from Nate Kelly, but it would not come to fruition as he was called out at second base on interference, sending the only Aggie runner off the field. McPherson hammered in three more unanswered runs in the top of the fifth off a two-RBI double and a bases-loaded walk. Charlie Marini took over the sixth and seventh innings and would fend off the Bulldogs from adding to the score, but equally good pitching from the Bulldogs would keep the Aggies at bay the rest of game on, bringing the final score 10-0 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Game two began just as quickly for the Bulldogs, starting the first inning an RBI from a well-placed single down the left field line. This time the Aggies were hasty to battle back, answering with two runs off a single from the bat of Sanchez to bring in Kelly and a wild pitch subsequently bringing in Sanchez. The bottom of the second would see good base running from the Aggies. Stallworth walked with a base on balls, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, and then stole home off an error from the McPherson catcher, bringing the score 1-3, Aggies. The third remained quiet for both teams, but McPherson would take control in the fifth with five runs off four hits to take the lead, and would plate three more in the top of the fifth to take the score, 9-3, Bulldogs. The Aggies fought back in the bottom of the sixth, leading off with a double to left field from first baseman Jared Mayeda. A successive single from Jaylon Burnett put him on first and advanced Mayeda to third. Sophomore Chris Schraer came in to pinch run for Burnett. Pierce Edwards followed up with a single to right to bring in Mayeda and advance Schraer. A hard hit double from Derek Stallworth earned him two RBI's, bringing in Edwards and Schraer. McPherson added one more run in the top of the seventh that would go unanswered by the Aggies, bringing the final score, 10-6.

Games three and four continued on Monday, and remained plagued with frigid weather and 20mph winds. McPherson started off the first inning of Game 3 hot, plating four runs against senior pitcher Adrian Lopez and continued the hitting stretch through the second bringing in five runs off five hits, including a two-RBI single from their hot hitter Dylan Fontenot. The Aggies would bring in one run each in the second and third innings off an RBI from junior Jake Dean and successful RBI sac bunt from Burnett. The bats stayed silent on both sides through the fourth and fifth innings, and the Aggies attempted a comeback in the sixth. An RBI from Edwards would score Leatherwood, and RBI triple from Kelly brought in Dean, and Kelly scored on an error from the Bulldogs' right field, however it wasn't enough to even the score and the Aggies left Game three at 9-5 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Game four would be the closest yet of the four-game contest, and for the first time in the series, McPherson would go scoreless to start the first at the hands of Aggie pitcher, sophomore Blake Tucker. Kelly would begin the bottom of the first with a roped triple to right field and an RBI ground out from Mayeda would score Kelly to put the Aggies on the board. Tucker would keep McPherson silent in the second and third while the Aggies brought in two runs off a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch on Jordan Smith and an RBI fielder's choice initiated by Kelly in the second; an RBI sac-fly from Schraer would bring the Aggies up 4-0 by the end of the third. McPherson then caught a break in the top of the fourth. Their Fontenot would score on a passed ball, the Bulldogs filled the bases and an error by right field would score another two runs, bringing McPherson 4-3, within one run of tying the Aggies. The Aggies continued to battle into the bottom of the fourth, leading off the inning with two consecutive base on balls. A sac groundout from Leatherwood advanced both runners to second and third, and a base-clearing double from Dean resulted in three RBI's, moving the Aggies up 3-7. The fifth went scoreless for both teams, but the Bulldogs exploded in the sixth, batting in five runs off two hits, closing the gap and bringing McPherson one run ahead of the Aggies 8-7. The Aggies would not recover and both teams went three up-three down in the seventh, closing Game four, 8-7, Bulldogs. The Aggies now hold a 4-7 record on the season and Head Coach Jason LaRocque is hopeful that his team will remain steadfast to bounce back and make the adjustments necessary before their upcoming SAC series this weekend.

The Aggies will head into an exciting week as they face Mid-America Christian University for their first Sooner Athletic Conference series of the season. The Aggies will take on the Evangels in a three-game home contest beginning with a double header on Friday, Feb. 16 at 12 p.m. at Aggie Field, with a single nine-inning game to follow on Saturday at 12 p.m. Aggie fans can follow along at opsuaggies.com where live stats of the game will be available.

This weekend Panhandle Baseball will also host its first annual SAC First Pitch Silent Auction and Banquet, held at Hunny's BBQ in Guymon. The event will take place on Sunday, February 18 at 6 p.m. Tickets are available via Ticket Roar on the opsuaggies.com website or at the door the night of the event.