MANHATTAN, Kan. — McPherson’s Class 4A state championship hopes came to a heartbreaking end Thursday, as top-seeded Mulvane rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Bullpups 5-4 in the state semifinals at Tointon Family Stadium on the Kansas State campus.
McPherson led 3-0 after the third inning and pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Carter Bengtson scored Takoda Linn on a bunt single and an error in the third, Cowen Huggard followed with an RBI single, and Cade Strathman singled in another run with help from a Mulvane error. Adrian Unruh scored in the fourth on another Mulvane error to give the Bullpups a four-run lead.
Mulvane began its comeback in the fifth on Grady Myers’ sacrifice fly, then tied the game with three runs in the sixth. Brody Clasen delivered the big hit, a two-run single that turned into a three-run play after an error, tying the game at 4.
The Wildcats completed the rally in the bottom of the seventh. Manny Myers and Hays Ensley singled, Parker Clubb walked to load the bases, and Hagen Warkins delivered a walk-off single to center field to score Myers and send Mulvane to the championship game.
McPherson finished with four hits. Bengtson, Brady Rinker, Huggard and Strathman each had one hit. Huggard and Strathman drove in runs.
Strathman took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs, three earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.