CRETE, Neb. – After a delay of 24 hours, No. 13 Midland University took the field against Doane University in Crete, Nebraska on Thursday afternoon. Despite a lower productive plate than normal due in part to a vast variation of pitching styles from the Tigers’ staff, the Warriors came away with a pair of Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) wins. Midland held on for a 3-2 win in game one and then sealed the sweep with a 5-1 win in game two.
GAME ONE: Midland 3, Doane 2
A leadoff single by Emily Prai led to the first run of the game as Amanda Schmaderer hit a two-out RBI single in the top of the 1st. Following a quick bottom half that saw the Tigers go down in order, the defensive trend continued through the 4th with both sides holding the other in check.
In the 5th, Reese Floro reached on a two-out infield single in an attempt to get the offense going. Early in the next at-bat, Roni Foote hit an opposite-field home run, putting the Warriors up 3-0.
Looking for a spark to their offense, Doane mounted a comeback attempt in the 6th. A pair of singles, with a walk in between, loaded the bases for the Tigers with no outs. After a strikeout for the first out, Doane broke through on the scoreboard with a single to left and then added another run as a pitch hit their batter. A strikeout and flyout ended the inning but the home squad had renewed life in their dugout heading into the final inning.
Midland worked a pair of walks in the 7th but was unable to add to its lead. In the bottom of the inning, Doane led off with a single but the runner was left stranded as the Warriors induced a flyout, line out, and strikeout to end the game.
Aliyah Rincon worked the entire game with nearly 150 pitches thrown. She struck out 10 batters while scattering 8 hits and 4 walks for her 15th win of the season.
Statistical Standouts
- Roni Foote: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB
- Amanda Schmaderer: 1-for-4, RBI
- Aliyah Rincon: 7.0 IP, 10 K, 2 ER
GAME TWO: Midland 5, Doane 1
After two scoreless innings to begin game two of the doubleheader, Midland broke through for two runs in the top of the 3rd. Emily Prai led off with a single and then Reese Floro joined her on the base path with a walk. A double by Roni Foote scored Prai with no outs. Amanda Schmaderer loaded the bases as a pitch hit her, and then Camille Vestal hit a sacrifice fly to put the Warriors up 2-0.
In the 4th, the bats heated up once again as the Midland grew. Floro delivered the first RBI as she drove in Halle Meyer with a two-out single up the middle. After Foote was walked, Schmaderer came through with an RBI single to left. Vestal delivered her second RBI in as many innings as she stepped to the plate and hit a one-hopper over the wall for a ground-rule-double, scoring one run. Had the ball stayed in play, the speedy Brie Lively who came on to pinch run would have made her way in to score. Midland led 5-0 at the middle of the 4th.
Doane, who had trouble reading Paeton Coler through the first rotation of the batting order, was able to string back-to-back hits in the 4th. A one-out single was followed by a double, breaking up the shutout bid by the Warriors in game two.
The Tigers flirted with adding to their lead in the 5th, with two more hits, but were kept off the scoreboard. Following a fairly routine 6th, tension built in the 7th with Doane looking to claw its way back into the game. A leadoff single was left stranded as Coler struck out a pair of batters to secure her 9th win of the year.
Statistical Standouts
- Reese Floro: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB
- Camille Vestal: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
- Paeton Coler: 7.0 IP, 6 K, 6 H, 1 ER
Midland (27-4, 6-0 GPAC) was slated to travel up to take on Dordt this weekend but that game was pushed back due to forecasted high winds on Saturday. The Warriors’ next outing will now be a home doubleheader with Morningside (11-16, 5-1 GPAC) on Monday, April 8. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Schilke Fields south of Fremont.
