Eagles win three of first five games

MIDLAND RECAP

Baseball

     It was a busy opening week for the Midland baseball team, which played five games in the space of five days, winning three of them.

     Midland (3-2) opened the season by nearly knocking off one of the state’s perennial powers, before falling 7-6 in eight innings to host North Linn June 15 in the first game of the doubleheader. Midland scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 6-0 deficit. Jamisen Dodge batted 3-for-4 with a double.

     “I really like how we came back and competed against the second-ranked team in Class 2A,” Midland coach Josh Soper said. “If we want to win those games, we have to do the little things better.”

     Midland lost the second game 10-7, as North Linn put together a seven-run second inning and led from then on. Alex Smith and Iziek Soper each batted 2-for-4. Jensen Dodge had a double and three RBIs.

     “We had one bad inning,” coach Soper said. “With only two weeks of practice, our pitchers are not anywhere near ready to go. But I am proud of the guys for competing.”

     On June 18, the Eagles played host to Clinton Prince of Peace, and won by scores of 10-0 in six innings and 14-2 in five. In the first game, Wilson Buckwalter pitched four innings of shutout ball to get the win, allowing three hits and striking out 11. Zain Sauer worked the final two innings. Offensively, the Eagles had 12 hits. Sauer went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in. Buckwalter and Soper also had two hits apiece.

     “We really played a complete game,” coach Soper said. “Wilson was dominant on the mound, and we hit extremely well.”

     In the second game, Soper was 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs. Alex Smith and Sauer each had two hits. Warren Etten pitched a two-hitter for the win, striking out six in five innings.

     Midland then played host to Lisbon in a single game June 19, and won 7-6, as Soper hit a two-run, walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning. The second of those runs came in when Sauer saw the catcher move away from the plate with the ball, and took off for home.

     “All the credit to Zain; he did that on his own. That’s a walkoff I will never forget,” coach Soper said.

     The Eagles had nine hits, led by Sauer, who was 4-for-6 with three RBIs. Buckwalter had two hits including a double, and Soper had two RBIs. Jamisen Dodge pitched the 10th inning and got the win.

 

Softball

     Midland played four games to open its season last week, winning one of them. The Eagles lost at North Linn by scores of 11-0 in six innings and 14-1 in three, scored a 7-3 home victory over Bellevue, and lost to Lisbon 13-0 in four innings.

     At North Linn, Midland had two hits, singles by Allison Paulsen and Sophia Raubs. A single by Taylor Bahnsen was the only Midland hit in the second game.

     Against Bellevue, the Eagles scored in four of the first five innings. Erin Sprank, pitching in relief of starter Paige Mohr, worked five innings to get the win, allowing five hits and striking out four. Midland had 10 hits. Adyson Nemmers was 2-for-3 with two doubles. Kylie Pickett batted 2-for-2.

     Midland was held without a hit in the Lisbon game.

     

Category:

Subscriber Login