CHICKASHA, Okla. – Following a day of rest, Midland University was back in action on Wednesday in the NAIA Opening Round in Chickasha, Oklahoma. In a matchup of top seeds, the second-seeded Warriors fell to the top-seeded University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) to begin the day, 5-4. Facing elimination, Midland bounced back with a win over Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSU-A) by a score of 5-2. The Warriors advance to the bracket championship on Thursday where they’ll look to avenge their loss.
GAME ONE: USAO 5, Midland 4
The opening inning saw both defenses dialed in, sitting down the top three of each team’s batting order. In the 2nd, Matti Reiling hit a two-out single to center but was left stranded. Meanwhile, USAO’s second batter of the inning was able to get ahold of a fastball from Aliyah Rincon for a solo home run.
Midland battled back in the top of the 3rd. Aliyah Rincon sparked the effort with a double to center field. Emily Prai followed with a line drive down the left field line. Crafton raced home for the equalizing score as Prai slid into second with an extra-base hit.
After a flyball for the second out, Prai advanced up to third. With two outs, Roni Foote made the Drovers pay. After a foul ball down the left field line fell to the turf, Foote turned on the very next pitch. She sent the ball over the wall in left-center and into the trees just beyond the fence to give Midland a 3-1 lead.
USAO fought back in its half of the inning. The Drovers worked the bases loaded with a walk and two singles. A single to right field scored two runs, pulling them even. After a strikeout, USAO hit a sacrifice to take back the lead, 4-3.
In the 4th, the Drovers added an insurance run with back-to-back two-out hits.
Prai jumpstarted the Warriors’ offense in the top of the 5th with a single up the middle with one out. Reese Floro reached on an error, putting a pair on base for the dangerous Foote. USAO effectively pitched around the Warriors’ career home run leader, loading the bases.
Amanda Schmaderer stepped to the plate and delivered a sacrifice fly, scoring Prai and advancing Brie Lively, who had entered to pinch run, to third.
Three pitches into the 6th, a pop-up thunderstorm moved into the radius of the ballpark and forced a 30-minute weather delay.
After the mandated delay, Midland wasn’t able to get the momentum back offensively. They kept the Drovers quiet but ran out of outs as the game ended, 5-4.
Aliyah Rincon went the complete game, striking out seven batters in six innings of work.
Statistical Standouts
- Emily Prai: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI
- Roni Foote: 1-for-2, R, 2 RBI, BB
- Matti Reiling: 2-for-3
- Ariyana Crafton: 1-for-3, R
GAME TWO: Midland 5, LSU-A 2
In a rematch from the opening day, Midland took the field against LSU Alexandria in the final game of the game. LSU-A battled its way past Baker (7-1) in its first game of the day.
Through the first three innings, both teams were held in check offensively. The Generals were able to muster a pair of hits while the Warriors got just one hit through the first part of the game.
Midland’s offense broke through in the 4th as Roni Foote worked a one-out walk. After taking the first pitch, Amanda Schmaderer drove the second offering to the gap in right-center. As the ball rolled to the base of the fence, Foote rounded third and scored the initial run of the contest.
Schmaderer moved over to third via a wild pitch and then Camille Vestal put runners on the corners following an error by the shortstop. As Matti Reiling loaded the bases with a single, Mia Orduna delivered a two-RBI single up the middle. Schmaderer and Brie Lively, who came on to run for Vestal, scored to make it a 3-0 advantage.
In the 5th, the Warriors added to their commanding lead. Reese Floro earned a one-out walk. With Rylan Gardner on to pinch run, she was able to jog around the bases as Foote hit her second home run of the day. This time the ball went over the centerfield fence, nearly hitting another tree along the way.
With their season on the line and trailing by five runs, the Generals attempted a comeback. A double and a single put two runners on base with two outs. LSU-A got on the board with a two-RBI double but that proved to the extent of its offense as a groundout to Reiling as shortstop ended the 6th inning.
In the 7th, Midland worked around an error and a single to close out the game with a 5-2 win.
Aliyah Rincon picked up the win in the circle, going seven innings with three strikeouts while scattering seven hits and allowing two earned runs.
Statistical Standouts
- Roni Foote: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
- Amanda Schmaderer: 1-for-2, R, RBI
- Matti Reiling: 2-for-3
- Mia Orduna: 1-for-3, 2 RBI
- Aliyah Rincon: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 K
Midland (44-11) will look to avenge its lone tournament loss with a rematch against Science & Arts (46-7) on Thursday. The Warriors will look to take two games from the Drovers and advance to the NAIA World Series. The first game of the day is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Bill Smith Ballpark in Chickasha. With a chance of rain overnight, the schedule could change.
