LAMONI, Iowa – Midland University baseball picked up a split in non-conference action versus Graceland University on Tuesday. The Warriors fell in game one by a score of 11-5 but rebounded with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap. Midlands record sits at 16-17 overall while Graceland now owns a 7-19 record.
Game One: Graceland 11, Midland 5
Graceland got on the board in the first inning when a leadoff single came around to score from a double to left-center. Midlands defense got out of a jam later in the frame when runners were on second and third with no outs. Starting pitcher Cameron Harrington picked up a strikeout, then base running miscues resulted in a pickoff and caught stealing to send the Warriors to the plate.
Midland evened things up in the second inning when Dakota Thornton led off with a double and advanced to third on a deep flyout. Thornton then scored off a ground out by Jack Barrios to tie the score at 1-1. Graceland answered in the bottom of the third after another double scored a runner from second. The Warriors knotted the score at 2-2 in the fourth inning, but an offensive outburst by Graceland led to a four-run inning as a 6-2 edge.
The Warriors countered with a pair of runs in the fifth, scored off a double by Maddux Miyasato and a single up the middle by Chase Reynolds. The Yellowjackets stung right back in the bottom of the inning with five runs, highlighted by a three-run blast over the wall in left-center, to extend the lead to 11-4. Midland was able to get another run in the top of the seventh, but a late rally was unattainable as Midland fell 11-5.
Statistical Leaders:
- Dakota Thornton: 2-of-3, 1 run, 1 2B
- Maddux Miyasato: 2-of-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 run
- Jack Barrios: 1-of-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 run
- Matthew Wickwire: 1.2 IP, 2 K
Game Two: Midland 7, Graceland 4
The Warriors jumped ahead 4-0 in the second inning, and the outburst was sparked by four straight singles to plate one. Trey Nichols picked up the fifth hit of the inning to send another runner home. The final two runs of the frame came across off a double by Connor Peterson reached the wall in left-center. Graceland got one back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a single that found space through the hole at shortstop. The Yellowjackets picked up another one run in the third and two in the fourth to tie things up 4-4.
Midland responded in the top of the sixth with singles from Peterson, Nichols, and Maddux brought a run home. Reynolds followed with a well-placed sacrifice bunt scored Nichols from third, giving Midland the 6-4 lead. The Warriors extended the lead to 7-4 in the seventh thanks to a fielding error on Graceland. Matt Abdelnour came in to close the game and picked up a pair of strikeouts to put the nail in the coffin on a 7-4 win. Midland totaled 14 hits in the seven-inning contest compared to eight for Graceland.
Statistical Leaders:
- Chase Reynolds: 2-of-4, 3 RBI, 1 2B
- Dakota Thornton: 3-of-3, 1 BB, 1 run
- Trey Nichols: 2-of-3, 1 RBI, 1 run
- Steven Boyd: 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 5 K
- Chase Reynolds: 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 3 K, WP
- Matt Abdelnour: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 K, 0 ER, Save
Up Next
Midland (16-17, 5-7 GPAC) will carry a four-game GPAC win streak into a home doubleheader against Doane University (19-11-1, 10-2 GPAC) on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Moller Field with game two to follow. Midland has won nine-straight against Doane, dating back to a 22-2 romping on May 1, 2017.
