Eagles win close ones

Baseball

     Midland (12-9, 12-12) won a pair of low-scoring games at Easton Valley June 25, by scores of 3-1 and 2-1.

     “We did not play our best in these two games, but we battled and were able to get two wins,” Midland coach Ryan Steines said.

     The Eagles led the first game 2-1 in the fourth inning, then got an insurance run when Carsen Rupp singled, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground out.

     Fisher Bisinger pitched six innings to get the win, allowing three hits and striking out four. Jensen Dodge pitched the seventh inning to pick up a save. Britan Martens, Peyton Rupp, Carsen Rupp and Bisinger all went 1-for-3 at the plate. Wilson Buckwalter and Trevor Gudenkauf had RBIs.

     Dodge continued his pitching success in the second game, tossing a five-hitter with four strikeouts. Martens went 3-for-4, and Buckwalter was 2-for-4. Buckwalter and Gudenkauf got the Midland RBIs.

     “Jensen had what was probably one of the most efficient nights on the mound I have ever seen,” Steines said. “In two games he threw eight innings and only 88 pitches. He did a great job of attacking hitters and letting his defense work behind him, and the defense played very well.”

Softball

     Midland came close to splitting a doubleheader June 25 at Easton Valley, losing the first game 10-4 and the second one 6-5, with the River Hawks scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. In the first game, Midland had nine hits, led by Emma Paulsen and Sara Flores, both of whom went 2-for-3. Flores had a double.

     The Eagles (1-21, 1-25) led the second game 5-3 through 5½ innings, but Easton Valley scored two in the bottom of the sixth and one in the seventh to steal it away. Emma Dusanek went 2-for-3 for the Eagles. Emma Paulsen hit a triple.

     “We held the lead for a long time, but could not hold them,” Midland coach Dustin Klein said.

     On June 27, the Eagles played host to Calamus-Wheatland in a doubleheader, and lost by scores of 9-0 and 8-3. Midland was held to three hits in the first game.

     “We knew Cal-Wheat would hit the ball,” Klein said. “Defensively we struggled early, but picked it up after the first two innings. We only allowed one run in the last five frames. I’m so proud they bounced back and didn’t give up.

     In the nightcap, Cal-Wheat scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull away. Midland had nine hits; Mikayla Dosland was 2-for-2, and Ari Hacke went 2-for-3. Emma Paulsen was the losing pitcher.

     “We played so well,” Klein said. “We kept the game close the whole game, but in the top of the seventh they just got on a hitting streak.”