JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Timely hitting and shutout pitching earned (RV) Midland University softball a commanding sweep over Jamestown University on Saturday afternoon. Game one of the Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup went to the Warriors by a score of 5-0 with game two featuring a 10-0, five-inning outing.
Midland improves to 22-7 on the year and 10-2 in the GPAC. Midland sits in second place in the league, trailing just No. 14 Morningside College. Jamestown drops to 25-9 overall and 8-4 in conference play.
Game One: Midland 5, Jamestown 0
The Warriors got on the board in the second inning when a collection of walks scored Bobbi Singleton from third. Another run was plated off an RBI single from Emily Prai, give the Warriors a 2-0 lead. Hailee Fliam continued to impress in the circle as she got out of a runner in scoring position situation with a strikeout to end the second. The Jimmies seemed to have something cooking in the third when a pair of singles had runners on with one out. Midland’s defense stayed true and picked up two groundouts to get out of trouble.
Senior leadership stepped up in the top of the fourth as Sierra Athow bashed a home run to extend the lead to 3-0, adding a much-appreciated insurance run to the scoreboard. Again, Jamestown countered in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff walk. The runner advanced to third on a fielding error, finding runners on the corners with two down. Fliam remained unmoved in the circle, pitching into a pop-out to shortstop to end the inning.
Midland’s lead grew to 5-0 in the sixth inning when two runs came across on a wild throw. The Jimmies had a good situation brewing in the bottom of the inning when the bases loaded up off two singles and an error. Again, defense came through when it was needed, executing a groundout to get out of trouble. Fliam notched two swinging K’s in the bottom of the seventh to secure her fifth shutout of the season in 5-0 fashion.
Statistical Leaders:
– Emily Prai: 2-of-4, 1 RBI
– Sierra Athow: 1-of-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 HR
– Brianna Brabec: 1-of-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB
– Hailee Fliam: 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 0 ER, 6 K
Game Two: Midland 10, Jamestown 0
Midland got up early in the game as Prai scored from second on a single from Katlin Anders. Anders made her way home on a double from Singleton to bring the lead to 2-0 after one inning of play. Aliyah Rincon entered the circle for her first appearance of the afternoon and made quick work of the Jimmies with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout. The Warriors came back in the second inning with two-out singles from Keira Painter and Prai. Painter would score on a double from Andrea Cespedes, extending the lead to 3-0. Prai and Cespedes made their way home on a single from Anders to bring things to 5-0.
Jamestown responded with two hits in the bottom of the second but they couldn’t push anything across to keep the lead at 5-0. The Warriors kept pouring on the runs, tacking on four more in the third inning to bring the score to 9-0. Runs scored off a single from Roni Foote and home runs from both Ali Smith and Painter. Midland’s final run came in the fifth when Athow homered for the second time in the doubleheader move the score to 10-0. The Jimmies sent pinch hitters to the plate in an attempt to spark a comeback, but a swinging strikeout ended the game in a run-rule. The shutout was Rincon’s eighth of her freshman campaign.
Statistical Leaders:
– Katlin Anders: 2-of-3, 3 RBI, 1 run
– Ali Smith: 2-of-3, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B
– Kiera Painter: 2-of-3, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 HR
– Aliyah Rincon: 5.0 IP, 4 hits, 3 K
Up Next
Midland (22-7, 10-2 GPAC) will return home to Christensen Field for a pair of games against Mount Marty University on Friday, April 23. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. with game two to follow. Mount Marty is 17-10 this season and 8-4 in the GPAC.
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