FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University concluded its weekend series against Northwestern College at home on Saturday afternoon. Continuing their Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) doubleheader, the Warriors won the opener 3-2 before the Red Raiders avoided a four-game sweep with a 14-6 win in game two.
GAME ONE: Midland 3, Northwestern 2
After a quiet 1st inning, Kobe Sandstrom ignited the Warriors’ momentum in the 2nd with a solo home run to left field. The Red Raiders countered in the 4th, evening the score at 1-1 with a home run of their own.
Yealex Lopez reached on an error and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt to kickstart the bottom of the 5th. Alec Villanueva delivered an RBI double, bringing Lopez home and reinstating the Warriors’ lead.
In the 6th, Northwestern showcased its resilience, knotting the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly.
The bottom of the 6th saw Connor Petersen launch a homer to left field, propelling Midland to a 3-2 advantage.
Following a stellar performance from Lucas Hamzeh, who went six innings with three hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts, Darius Blasingane came in for a save chance in the 7th. He held off the Red Raiders for his sixth save of the season.
Statistical Standouts
- Alec Villanueva: 1-for-3, RBI, 2B
- Connor Petersen: 2-for-3, RBI, HR, R, SB
- Kobe Standstrom: 1-for-3, R, RBI, HR
- Lucas Hamzeh: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K
- Darius Blasingane: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
GAME TWO: Northwestern 14, Midland 6
Looking for the four-game sweep, Jacob Liquori kickstarted the Warriors’ offense with a lead-off double in the bottom of the 1st inning. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Alec Villanueva‘s earned a walk put Warriors at corners, setting the stage for Joshua Hardamon‘s three-run home run. Garrett Freeman and Deven Gomez followed up with consecutive singles, maintaining the strong offensive start. Connor Petersen‘s fielder’s choice brought Freeman home, while Hadyn Crawford‘s single, coupled with a throwing error, extended the lead as Petersen crossed the plate, putting Midland in front by a 5-0 advantage.
Northwestern broke its slow start at the plate in the 3rd inning, narrowing the deficit with a three-run homer. The Red Raiders intensified their attack in the 4th inning, rallying for six runs on six hits while capitalizing on a pair of Midland errors to seize a 9-5 lead.
After a brief lull, Northwestern extended its lead with two more runs in the following innings, widening the gap to 11-5.
Yealex Lopez halted the Warriors’ scoring drought with a solo homer to left field in the 7th. The Red Raiders maintained their offensive onslaught, adding two more runs in the 8th inning and another in the 9th, to secure the 14-6 victory in the series finale to avoid the sweep.
Statistical Standouts
- Jacob Liquori: 2-for-5, R, 2B
- Joshua Hardamon: 1-for-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB
- Yealex Lopez: 2-for-3, R, RBI, HR, BB
Midland (27-16, 13-11 GPAC) will begin its final series of the regular season as it hosts Dordt (8-37, 2-22 GPAC) on Friday, April 26. In between the final home games of the year, the Warriors will honor their 2024 seniors. First pitch of the conference doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Moller Field in Fremont.
