Eagles play five at home

Baseball

     Midland had five home baseball games last week, winning two of them, to come away with records of 6-10 in the Tri-Rivers Conference, 6-13 overall.

     Midland started the week strong, sweeping a home doubleheader against Clinton Prince of Peace June 11 by scores of 9-1 and 3-2. The Eagles had 13 hits in the first game, with eight different starters getting hits. Getting two hits each were Britan Martens, Wilson Buckwalter, Fisher Bisinger, Alex Smith and Peyton Rupp. Jensen Dodge, Alex Smith, Trevor Gudenkauf, Buckwalter and Bisinger hit doubles. Bisinger was the starting pitcher and worked four innings to get the win, striking out eight; Peyton Rupp pitched the last three.

     “Overall it was a very good team game, with everyone contributing in a big way,” Midland coach Ryan Steines said.

     In the second game, the eventual winning run scored when Austin Smith walked, stole second base, went to third on a passed ball, and scored on a grounder by Bisinger. Alex Smith and Austin Smith shared pitching duties, with Austin working the last two for the win. Midland was held to four hits, including a solo homer by Austin Smith.

     The Eagles had a strong performance at home June 12 against non-conference opponent Monticello for five innings, with Midland trailing 3-1.

     “Then the wheels fell off,” Steines said. “They ended up scoring six runs (in the sixth), mostly because of three errors.”

     Midland lost 9-1. Martens batted 2-for-4.

     The Eagles then played host to Calamus-Wheatland June 14, and lost by scores of 2-1 in eight innings and 12-5.

     “I would say this was our best-played game of the year,” Steines said of the first game, in which Cal-Wheat scored the winning run in the top of the eighth. “It was tough not to get the win when we played so well. Fisher (Bisinger) pitched extremely well; we just couldn’t score enough runs to get the win for him.”

     Midland had a chance for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, when Buckwalter walked and eventually got to third with two outs.

     “Fisher hit one of the hardest-hit balls of the year, but it was right at the centerfielder.”

     Austin Smith batted 3-for-4.

     Cal-Wheat jumped to an 8-0 lead in the second game, then held off Midland’s rally. Austin Smith was 2-for-4 with a double. Dodge and Buckwalter also doubled.

     “They just hit the ball really well and there was nothing we could do about it,” Steines said.