Wichita, Kan. – Midland University Softball swept the final day of the Friends University Invitational to improve to 7-2 on the year on Saturday. The Warriors defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan University by a score of 12-5 in game one and topped Tabor College 9-1 in the final game of the weekend.
Game One: Midland 12, Oklahoma Wesleyan 5
The Warriors tallied 15 hits in the first game of the day which tied a season-high. It all got started in the first inning as Bobbi Singleton picked up her first of the day, scoring a runner from second for a 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Aliyah Rincon continued to work her way through the opposing lineup, allowing just one hit through three innings.
Midland added to the lead in the third inning, all starting with a bunt single from Brianna Brabec. Emily Prai followed with a single, and Brabec used heads-up base running to make her way to third. Andrea Cespedes stepped up to the plate and executed a squeeze bunt to score Brabec from third. Kaitlin Anders came through with a sacrifice fly to score Prai and bring the score to 3-0. The Warriors added on another in the fourth as Roni Foote launched her fourth home run of the year.
Oklahoma Wesleyan got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run, but the Warrior defense got out of the inning with a groundout to maintain a 4-2 advantage. Midland’s bats were quiet through the next two innings as Oklahoma Wesleyan scored in the fifth and sixth to tie things up at 4-4. The Warriors had three outs to work with if the team wanted to avoid extra innings, and they responded in a major way.
Anders got on with a single and came around to score off a single from Sierra Athow. Carly Pfitzer came up to bat and ripped a triple down the right-field line to score a pair, extending the lead to 7-4. Oklahoma Wesleyan was forced to make a pitching change, but that wouldn’t matter to Foote who sent an RBI single to center. Midland had another pair in scoring position for Prai who sent one home with a single to center. One batter later, Anders sent the first pitch she saw over the fence for a three-run bomb, bringing the score to 12-4. Oklahoma Wesleyan got out of the inning with a fly-out.
Oklahoma Wesleyan faced a large deficit entering the bottom of the seventh and got off to a good start as the leadoff reached second on a fielding error. The next batter singled to put a runner in scoring position. The runner on third would score on a fielder’s choice, but back-to-back strikeouts closed out the game with a 12-5 Warrior win.
Statistical Leaders:
– Kaitlin Anders: 2-of-5, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 2 runs
– Roni Foote: 2-of-4, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 2 runs
– Briana Brabec: 4-of-4, 2 runs, 1 2B
– Hailee Fliam: 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 3 K
Game Two: Midland 9, Tabor College 1 (5 innings)
The final game of the invite looked to be a classic pitcher’s duel in the early innings. The Warriors had enough of that and had an offensive explosion in the bottom of the third, scoring eight runs in a single inning for the second time today. Amanda Schmaderer got it started with a leadoff double and Emily Prai followed with a single, placing runners on the corners. The first run of the inning scored on an error by the shortstop. The next two runs came by way of a single by Kaitlin Anders and a sac fly from Carly Pfitzer. Two more singles brought in another couple of runs to bring the lead to 5-0. Another infield error allowed the sixth run to score. Andrea Cespedes smoked a bases-loaded double to left field to bring in the final two runs of the inning, giving her team an 8-0 edge.
Tabor got one back in the top of the fourth with a solo home run, but a flyout and groundout got the Warriors out of the inning. Midland was quiet in the bottom of the frame and headed in the fifth inning looking to end the game in run-rule fashion. Tabor got a runner on with a hit by pitch, but three-straight outs sent Midland back to the dugout needing one run to close out the contest.
Halle Meyer led off the inning with a double to left field, forcing a pitching change with nobody out. The new pitcher collected a groundout, but Prai came back with a single through the right side which scored Meyer from first, giving Midland the 9-1 win.
Statistical Leaders:
– Andrea Cespedes: 2-of-3, 2 RBI, 2B, 1 run, 1 SB
– Emily Prai: 2-of-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 BB
– Roni Foote: 2-of-3, 1 RBI, 1 run
– Hailee Fliam: 4.0 IP, 3 K, 1 ER
Up Next
Midland (7-2) will be back in action with four games at the McPherson Invite in McPherson, Kansas next weekend. Midland will open up play on Friday, March 12 with a noon game versus Friends University and close out day one with a 4:30 p.m. contest against Avila University. On Saturday, March 13 the Warriors will play again at noon and 4:00 p.m., this time against Dakota State University and Presentation College.
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