SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – After winning both games on day one of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament on Wednesday, No. 12-ranked Midland University needed one win on day two to reach the conference championship series for the fourth-straight season. Going up against Dordt University after they eliminated the University of Jamestown in the first game of the day, the Warriors got the win they needed, an 8-0 six-inning victory, inside the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Second-seeded Midland set the tone early with a three-batter defensive top of the 1st followed by a three-run bottom half. After Roni Foote and Amanda Schmaderer earned two-out walks, a wild pitch to the plate advanced the runners, and then an errant throw brought Foote in to score the game’s initial run. Two more walks were issued to Isabelle Pagan and Matti Reiling, who loaded up the bases. A single by Mia Orduna to left field scored both Schmaderer and Pagan as the Warriors went up 3-0.
An inning later, the parade of walks continued as Ariyana Crafton led off the inning with a free pass. Emily Prai registered the second hit of the day and then Foote added her pedometer with a second walk. Schmaderer got her strut on as well as she earned a free pass with the bases loaded, scoring Crafton. Reiling added to the run total with an RBI single, putting the Warriors up 5-0 after two complete.
Aliyah Rincon, who struck out the final two batters in the 2nd, continued to serve up Ks to the third-seeded Defenders with three more strikeouts in the 3rd. Midland was held quiet in the bottom half of the 3rd before breaking through for two runs in the 4th.
Veterans Foote and Schmaderer showed patience at the plate once again, earning back-to-back walks to begin the inning. Pagan hit a line drive to right field that was scooped for the first out. After a throw from the outfield to try and tag the runner at first, Foote took off for third. The ensuing throw to try and get her out advancing got away. That allowed a run to score as Schmaderer moved up to second.
Orduna picked up her third RBI of the game as she delivered a single to center, running the score to 7-0. Sitting on the brink of elimination, Dordt kept Midland from adding to the lead in the 4th and the 5th to avoid the run rule of eight after five innings.
In the 6th, Rincon added two more strikeouts to her tally to reach 11 for the day and 34 for the tournament. With Foote and Schmaderer set to lead off the bottom of the 6th, the Defenders made sure that neither had the chance to hit a walk-off home run. Foote was walked for a fourth time while Schmaderer was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Reiling got the honors of sending the Warriors to the championship with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Foote for the 8-0 win.
Statistical Standouts
- Emily Prai: 2-for-4, R, SB
- Roni Foote: 0-for-0, 3 R, 4 BB
- Amanda Schmaderer: 0-for-0, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB
- Matti Reiling: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, BB
- Mia Orduna: 2-for-3, 3 RBI
- Aliyah Rincon: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 11 K
For the second season in a row, Midland (42-8) will face top-seeded Northwestern (46-5) in the GPAC Championship Series this weekend. The best-of-three matchup is scheduled for Saturday, May 4. The official time and location have not been announced as potential rainfall amounts could move the site or alter times. The conference office will announce more details on Friday.
