McPherson Steals a Victory from Reds

(June 30, 2025 – Coppell, TX) The ghosts were stirring early on Tuesday night as the top of the Spirits (45+) squad order came ready to dance — and dance they did — before Eric McPherson dropped the mic in dramatic fashion, stealing home to secure a 9 to 8 Spirits victory over a solid-hitting Reds team.

The top of the order came out swinging with a purpose, setting the tone that they were ready to trade punches with a team that has paced them all season. McPherson, who’s been hotter than a summer sidewalk at the dish, generated some more heat by crushing a double to left centerfield gap to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Dee Mauldin followed with a groundout that moved McPherson to third, and Kirk Sipila cashed in with an RBI double to draw first blood. Dale Baird followed with a single to move Sipila to third and a walk to Shawn Lee loaded the bags for Eric Goetz. Goetz was able to reach on a fielder’s choice that scored Sipila to make it 2 to 0 before Mike Sopocy grounded out to end the frame.

But this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. After starter Jonathan Duran ran into trouble in the second inning, the Reds exploded for 6 runs, capitalizing on a couple of costly errors and a ground-rule double that stung like a hornet. It started with a single by Steven Nutt. Four pitches later, Mike Rosener crushed a double to give the Reds a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out. Anthony Vega drew a walk to load the bases and a sacrifice fly by TK Hayes gave the Reds the first run after Nutt crossed the dish. Kelly Tomlinson singled to load them again and an error by Baird allowed James Roberts to reach safely and for Rosener to score. Christofer Pritchett’s ground rule double sobered the Spirits dugout quickly, plating both Vega and Tomlinson before another error saw Chris Duty reach safely and for 2 additional punches in the form of runs to score. Suddenly, the Spirits found themselves in a 6 to 2 hole.

The Spirits cut the score down to 6 to 3 in the second after Shawn Hunt walked and made his way to third following a few passed balls before a ground out by Stacy Scott allowed him to score.

Enter rookie Vincent Diciero, who helped steady the ship after replacing Duran on the mound. Diciero gave the Spirits two innings of clutch relief, allowing just one earned run while striking out three and giving his team a chance to scratch and claw back. Scratch and claw they did.

Diciero sparked the offense with a single in the bottom of the third with the Spirits trailing 7 to 3. McPherson and Mauldin went right back to work as well. After drawing a walk, McPherson showed off the jets, swiping second with ease. Mauldin then laced a 2-run single to score both Diciero and McPherson, trimming the Reds lead down to 7 to 5. Moments later, Sipila added a single of his own, and Lee delivered the big blow with a ground-rule double that tied the game at 7 to 7, bringing the Spirits dugout back to life.

In the fourth, Scott joined the party, knocking in Hunt to give the Spirits an 8 to 7 lead after Hunt had reached on a single. But the Reds weren’t done, scratching back with a run following a wild pitch by Kevin Simmons who had replaced Diciero and showed some control issues in his first inning of work. After striking out Duty to start the inning, Marc Bouvier singled and moved to third after Sopocy’s attempt to turn two on a grounder from Sean Clark missed Scott at second and ended up in right field. Ron Pirkle reached on a fielder’s choice that saw Bouvier tagged out at home on a non-conventional choice to head home on a ground ball to the pitcher. Simmons then walked Ross Nussle before a wild ball past Hunt at the plate allowed for Clark to tie the game at 8 to 8. Simmons then walked Rick Boysen and tension continued on the Spirits defensive side of the field but Simmons was then able to get Nutt to fly out to stop the drama.

And then came the fireworks. With two outs in the bottom half of the fifth, tie ball game, McPherson steps in once more — and as if it were scripted — rips a single to center to set the table. Mauldin, equally relentless, followed with another single, sending the Spirits version of “Charlie Hustle” to third. Mauldin, with some speed of his own somehow earned the full attention of Nutt, who had replaced Duty on the mound earlier in the game. With one of the Spirits best hitters at the plate in the form of Sipila, it appeared the Reds weren’t interested in the Spirits obtaining runners in scoring position. With the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, Nutt turned and fired not once, but twice to first base in attempts to keep Mauldin close.

Then it happened.

As Nutt spun for a third pickoff attempt with likely too much attention on Mauldin, McPherson saw opportunity and bolted for the dish. Likely using comparable speed to running home at dinner time as a kid, McPherson split for home immediately upon Nutt’s move to first. Robertson caught the pickoff attempt and relayed the throw immediately to Boysen at the plate. The throw came late. The Spirits dugout erupted. The ump signaled safe. Spirits up, 9 to 8. The timing couldn’t have been better as Nutt was able to get Sipila to fly out to allow the Reds out of the inning but McPherson’s heroics gave the ghosts a lead they would hang onto.

Simmons revisited the mound, this time with a bag of composure. With a one run lead behind him and opportunity for his team’s offense to retaliate if necessary, Simmons was able to set the Reds in order after getting Rosener to ground out, Vega on swings, and Hayes to ground out to close out the ball game.

McPherson finished 2-for-2 with 3 runs scored, 2 stolen bases, and the night’s most daring heist. Mauldin backed him with a 2-for-3 showing and 2 RBIs, and Sipila added two hits, a run, and an RBI in the top trio’s muscle flexing at the top of the order. Lee finished with a double, walk, and 2 runs batted in, while Scott added a single and pair of runs scored to top off the Spirits box score.

“(Kevin) Simmons shutting the door in the sixth was huge,” Lee commented afterwards. “What was also not shown in the box score outside of a couple of errors by our defense is some great plays that aided in the win. Dale (Baird) had one where he charged the ball and made a great throw to first and Shawn (Hunt) never goes unnoticed with his great play behind the plate. But that steal by McPherson was the cat’s ass. Nobody saw that coming and the guy is just a competitor. Nobody wants to win out here more than him, and he proved it with that heads up play. It was close but I saw him split for home and I yelled, ‘hell yes’ and was the first to greet him after the play. The Reds are a great hitting team. We like to call them friendly foes, but they are more than ready to take a game from you any day or any night. We had some luck mixed in, and thankfully some of us had the wind to help us contribute to the game as well.”

The Spirits move to 11-0-1 on the season and now look ahead to next week’s showdown against the Hurricanes at McInnish Park, Field #11. Game is scheduled for a 6:30PM first pitch and fans can click here for schedule details.

Game Box Score