MCPHERSON, Kan. – The MACU baseball team got the bats going early and often as junior first baseman
Conner McKinney led the way, batting 6-for-7 with three homers and eight RBIs to guide the Evangels to an 11-2, 14-2 doubleheader sweep over Central Christian at Tiger Stadium on Friday afternoon.
GAME ONE
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 11, Central Christian 2
- Mid-America Christian (24-8, 5-3 SAC)
- Central Christian (4-26, 1-9 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
- Win: Isaac Baez (6-1)
- Loss: Tristian Castner (0-8)
TOP PERFORMERS
- Isaac Baez – W, 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 SO
- Conner McKinney – 3-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
- Carlos Medina – 3-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 1st – MACU – Conner McKinney singled to center, RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 1, CCCK 0
- TOP 2nd – MACU – Carlos Medina homered to left-center, RBI – MACU 2, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Yan Ely Adames homered to right, RBI – MACU 3, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Andrew Enwiya doubled down lf line, RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 4, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Carlos Medina singled thru left side, RBI; Conner McKinney scored – MACU 5, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Andrew Enwiya scored on a wild pitch – MACU 6, CCCK 0
- TOP 4th – MACU – Yan Ely Adames singled to right, RBI; Makael Shaw scored – MACU 7, CCCK 0
- TOP 4th – MACU – Noel McGarry-Doyle hit a sac fly to cf, RBI; Ryan Reed scored – MACU 8, CCCK 0
- TOP 4th – MACU – Conner McKinney homered to right-center, 2 RBI; Tylor Richey scored – MACU 10, CCCK 0
- TOP 6th – MACU – Caden Harris reached on a fielder's choice; Carlos Medina scored on a throwing error by 2b – MACU 11, CCCK 0
- BTM 7th – MACU – Eli Campbell homered to right, 2 RBI; Carlos Perez scored – MACU 11, CCCK 2
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its 11 runs on 12 hits and committed one error while Central Christian scored its two runs on six hits and made two miscues.
- In the top of the third, Yan Ely Adames floated his 26th career home run over the right field fence, moving him into a tie with Adrian Bravo-Carmona (2010-11) for the second-most career home runs in the NAIA Era and putting him just one back of Jerry McNew for the program record.
- By getting his sixth win on the mound, junior starter Isaac Baez moved into the program's NAIA Era Top 5 record book, moving into a tie for fourth with Thomas Peabody (2010) and Madison Spencer (2017) for the most wins in a single season. Baez threw six shutout innings, allowing just two hits with one walk and struck out a career-high nine batters.
- Conner McKinney led a balanced MACU lineup, slashing 3-for-3 with a two-run homer for three RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
- Carlos Medina also produced a three-hit game from the plate, batting 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and a pair of runs.
GAME TWO
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 14, Central Christian 2
- Mid-America Christian (25-8, 7-4 SAC)
- Central Christian (4-27, 1-10 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
- Conner McKinney – 3-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, HBP
- Ryan Reed – 2-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R
- Noel McGarry-Doyle – 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 2nd – MACU – Caden Harris singled up the middle, RBI; Andrew Enwiya scored – MACU 1, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Conner McKinney homered to center, 2 RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 3, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Caden Harris doubled down lf line, RBI; Carlos Medina scored – MACU 4, CCCK 0
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Ryan Reed homered to left-center, 4 RBI; Tylor Richey scored; Caden Harris scored; Cole Fuecker scored – MACU 8, CCCK 0
- BTM 4th – CCCK – Carlos Gusman doubled down lf line, RBI; Alejandro Pina scored – MACU 8, CCCK 1
- BTM 4th – CCCK – Noel Aquino singled thru left side, RBI; Carlos Gusman scored – MACU 8, CCCK 2
- TOP 5th – MACU – Ryan Reed doubled down lf line, RBI; Tylor Richey scored – MACU 9, CCCK 2
- TOP 5th – MACU – Noel McGarry-Doyle doubled down rf line, 2 RBI; Yan Ely Adames scored; Ryan Reed scored – MACU 11, CCCK 2
- TOP 5th – MACU – Conner McKinney singled up the middle, RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 12, CCCK 2
- TOP 7th – MACU – Conner McKinney homered to left, 2 RBI; K.J. Moo-Young scored – MACU 14, CCCK 2
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its 14 runs on 18 hits while Central Christian tallied two runs on four hits and committed one error.
- Two different Evangels recorded five RBIs on the day as Conner McKinney went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and a pair of runs while Ryan Reed swatted 2-for-4 with a double and a grand slam to go with a pair of runs as well.
- McKinney became the 31st Evangel in the NAIA Era to record two home runs in a contest, tying the single game mark. The last MACU player to bash two home runs in a game was German Sepulveda in a 25-14 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State in the SAC Tournament on May 7 at Jim Wade Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma City.
- MACU's hits leader Noel McGarry-Doyle continued to produce at the plate, swatting 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a pair of runs.
- Central Christian did put together a great opportunity late to cut into deficit by loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but the MACU defense was able to turn a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.
- Cameron Brown was able to get his first win in the month of March, allowing just two earned runs on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts over six innings. With his first strikeout in the bottom of the first, Brown became just the 10th pitcher in the NAIA Era to record 100 or more strikeouts, moving to eighth in MACU's strikeout record book.
- By getting the back-to-back win, the Evangels boosted their win streak to three over the Tigers and are now 20-3 against Central Christian during the NAIA Era.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will wrap-up the series with a nine-inning game on Saturday slated for a noon first pitch.
