Bluejays split with McPherson

After sweeping two non-conference games in Missouri last week, the Tabor College baseball team split its first two games with McPherson Sunday.

Prior to Monday’s series finale with McPherson, Tabor was two and a half games back of Oklahoma Wesleyan in the KCAC standings with a 15-8 conference record, 34-12 overall.

McPherson—Tabor split two games Sunday.

The Bluejays lost Game 1, 6-5.

McPherson scored all six of its runs in the first three innings, doing most of its damage in a two-hit, four-run third inning, in which Tabor also committed an error. The Bulldogs hit a two-run home run to key the frame.

The Bluejays scratched their first runs across in the fifth inning. Kyle James highlighted the half-inning with a two-run home run.

Tabor scored its final three runs off four hits—including a two-run home run by Jaxson Hooge—and a Bulldog error in the sixth inning.

Tabor stranded three base-runners over the course of the final three innings.

The Bluejays out-hit McPherson, 11-9, but also made four errors to the Bulldogs’ three.

James was 3-for-4 at-bat and drove in two runs. Hooge also had two RBIs.

Jagger Harjo (8-2) sustained the pitching loss. In 51⁄3 innings of work, he gave up eight hits and six runs (all earned). He walked two batters and struck out six.

Tabor won Game 2, 12-1.

McPherson took a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Having surrendered two hits in each of the first and second innings, Bluejay starter Jordan Harris gave up only two more hits over the next four innings and held the Bulldogs scoreless.

The Tabor offense, meanwhile, came to life with a six-hit, five-run top of the third inning. Harris helped his own cause by lifting a three-run home run over the left-field fence. Later in the half-inning, Braxon Byfield hit a two-run home run.

Harris keyed the three-hit top of the fourth inning with his second three-run home run of the game. That made it 8-1 in favor of Tabor.

In the fifth inning, Kyle James and AJ Shaw each hit RBI doubles to make it 10-1.

In the one-hit, two-run top of the sixth, Blake Standiford worked a bases-loaded walk and John Izquierdo hit a sacrifice fly to conclude scoring for the game.

James was 3-for-4 at-bat and had one RBI. Abdiel Alicea was 3-for-5. Harris was 2-for-4 and drove in six runs.

Harris earned the pitching win, giving up six hits and one earned run in 6 innings of work. He walked one batter and struck out seven. Reagan McCloud pitched one inning of scoreless relief.

Game 3 was to be played Monday.

Missouri—Tabor swept two games in Missouri Tuesday.

The Bluejays defeated Harris-Stowe State, 15-5. No additional information for this game was available at press time.

Tabor then defeated Columbia, 13-6.

The Bluejays trailed, 3-2 after two innings of play, but blew the game open with a seven-hit, eight-run top of the third inning, during which Columbia also committed one error. In the seven-hit frame, Colton Flax hit a bases-loaded, two-run single, and Kyle James, a two-run home run. Columbia used three pitchers in the half-inning.

Tabor scored two runs in the fourth inning and one final run in the sixth.

The Bluejays tallied 18 hits, led by Flax, who was 4-for-4 at-bat and had two RBIs. Braxon Byfield had three RBIs.

Jahaziel Cantu (4-3) was the winning pitcher. Over four innings, he gave up seven hits and six runs (all earned). He walked two batters and struck out three.

Coming—After completing its series with McPherson Monday, Tabor was scheduled to travel to Peru State for a pair of seven-inning games Tuesday. The Bluejays will conclude the regular season by hosting Ottawa Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday’s nine-inning game is slated for a 2 p.m. start.

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