FREMONT, Neb. – After weeks of anticipation, all eyes were tuned into Schilke Fields on Saturday as No. 12-ranked Midland University hosted No. 9-ranked Northwestern College on the final day of the conference schedule. It was a battle of the top two teams in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), and a rematch of last season’s championship series, with this year’s regular-season title on the line. Game one went to the Red Raiders, 4-2, as they rallied with three runs in the final inning. Game two also went the way of the visitors as they took a 1-0 lead just ahead of the game being called due to weather in the top of the 7th.
GAME ONE: Northwestern 4, Midland 2
After a quick turn at the plate from both sides in the 1st, the Warriors struck for a run in their half of the 2nd. Mia Orduna kept the inning alive as she reached on a fielding error by the Northwestern left fielder. Halley Meyer then came through with a hard-hit single through the left side, allowing Orduna to come in from second for the game’s first run.
An inning later, Emily Prai led off the frame with a single up the middle, and then Roni Foote moved her into scoring position as an inside pitch hit her. With a pair of runners on and just one out, Amanda Schmaderer delivered an RBI single that tucked inside the left-field line. Prai raced home with ease but a quick collection of the ball forced Foote to hold up at third.
In the top of the 4th, Northwestern was able to battle its way onto the board as its lead-off hitter turned on a fastball for a solo home run just over the wall in center field. Midland halted the momentum as it got out of the inning and then retired six of the Red Raiders’ next seven batters.
The 7th innings saw the momentum slip though as the lead-off hitter for Northwestern reached via an error. After a sacrifice bunt, they got another on base via a walk. Following a lineout to shortstop, the Warriors within an out of earning the victory but a hard hit deep in the hole at short forced a bad throw at third. As the ball got away and rolled to the padding, the tying run came in to tie the game at 2-2.
With the runner moving up on defensive indifference, a single up the middle scored two more unearned runs for the Red Raiders and they took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 7th.
A single by Prai to start the 7th was all Midland could muster as Northwestern sealed the win to force a showdown in game two for the GPAC title.
Aliyah Rincon was dealt the hard-luck loss, going seven innings with four hits, three walks, and one earned run. She struck out five Red Raiders while throwing 124 pitches in the outing.
Statistical Standouts
- Emily Prai: 2-for-4, R
- Roni Foote: 2-for-3, 2B
- Amanda Schmaderer: 2-for-4, RBI
- Halle Meyer: 2-for-3, RBI, 2B
GAME TWO: Northwestern 1, Midland 0 (6 innings, weather)
With the final game of the regular season deciding the regular season conference champion, the contest started as a pitcher’s duel with both offenses being held at bay. Paeton Coler was in the circle for the Warriors, and she started the game with three innings of perfection.
After being kept off the bases through their first rotation through the batting order, Northwestern broke through with a lead-off bunt single to start the 4th. The hit was all for naught as Coler worked around the hit to get out of the inning.
Midland had its chances in the 2nd as they worked back-to-back one-out singles followed by a walk to load the bases. An infield pop fly was followed by a strikeout as Northwestern escaped the inning. In the following inning, the Warriors got two more runners on base with two outs but were unable to capitalize once more.
After a three up and three down 5th for both defenses, the Red Raiders manufactured a run in the 6th. A pinch-hit walk, followed by a sacrifice bunt and a single set up an RBI opportunity with runners on the corners and just one out. A grounder to second allowed the runner from third to score what proved to be the winning run.
In the home half of the 6th, Camille Vestal reached on a two-out error but a pop-out got the Red Raiders back in the dugout with their lead intact.
As the teams took the field for the 7th, the leading cell of storms building in the south rolled in. A 30-minute lightning delay was enacted and after looking at the line of storms set to roll through, the game was called after six innings.
Northwestern picked up the regular-season championship, its second in as many years, with the shortened-game victory, 1-0.
Statistical Standouts
- Paeton Coler: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER
- Mia Orduna: 1-for-1, BB
While the final day of the regular season didn’t go as planned for the Warriors, they’ll look to regroup as they battle for the GPAC Postseason Tournament banner next week. Midland (39-8, 18-4 GPAC) and Northwestern (43-5, 19-3 GPAC) will be the top two seeds and will each host a double-elimination pod of four teams beginning on Wednesday. The No. 2-seeded Warriors will host No. 7-seed Doane (18-22, 11-11 GPAC), No. 3-seed Dordt (26-23, 13-9 GPAC), and No. 6-seed Jamestown (29-14, 13-9 GPAC). Top-seeded Northwestern will play host to 8-seed Mount Marty (20-22, 11-11 GPAC), 4-seed Concordia (23-23, 13-9 GPAC), and 5-seed Morningside (24-19, 13-9 GPAC). Both brackets get underway at noon on Wednesday, May 1.
