Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SEWARD, Neb. – Midland University traveled back to Seward, Nebraska for day two of the Concordia Bracket of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament on Friday. In a matchup of winners from day one, fifth-seeded Midland met up with second-seeded Concordia University. The Warriors were dealt a tough loss by the Bulldogs to start their day, 8-3. Facing elimination in the final game of the day, Midland brought great energy to the diamond against Mount Marty University. The good vibes propelled them to a 10-4 win and into the bracket championship on Saturday.
GAME ONE: Concordia 8, Midland 3
Concordia surged to an early lead, securing a 2-0 advantage by scoring a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Following a subdued 4th inning, the Bulldogs extended their lead with an additional run in the top of the 5th.
Midland finally broke its scoreless streak in the bottom half of the 5th as Jacob Liquorikickstarted the offense with a leadoff double. Two batters later, Yealex Lopez singled to left with two outs, driving in Liquori and narrowing the gap to 3-1.
After the Bulldogs added to their tally with a solo home run in the 7th, the Warriors attempted their comeback in the bottom.
Connor Petersen hit a leadoff single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. A groundout put him on third base, setting up an RBI single by Lopez to cut the deficit once more.
Leading by two runs heading into the final inning, Concordia doubled up its offensive total behind three hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch to make it an 8-2 lead.
Down to their final out, Christopher Ortega ignited hope for the Warriors with a solo home run with two outs in the 9th. The Bulldogs escaped the comeback, securing an 8-3 victory.
Statistical Standouts
- Yealex Lopez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
- Connor Petersen: 1-for-4, R
- Jacob Liquori: 1-for-3, R
- Christopher Ortega: 1-for-1, R, RBI, HR
GAME TWO: Midland: 10, Mount Marty 4
Needing a win to stay alive in the tournament, the Warriors got things started in the 2nd innings as Connor Petersen ignited the offense with a leadoff double. As Nathaniel Reyesreached base on a fielder’s choice, Christopher Ortega joined him on base via a walk. Tyler Struck‘s single brought Reyes home and after Ben Kirkland came in as a courtesy runner, Yealex Lopez hit a two-RBI single to stake the Warriors with an early 3-0 lead.
In the 3rd, Deven Gomez opened the inning with a walk while Petersen collected his second hit of the game. With two runners on base, a double by Reyes brought home Petersen and Gomez, extending Midland’s lead to 5-0.
The Warriors maintained their momentum in the 5th inning as Garrett Freeman showed patience at the plate to earn a walk. Back-to-back singles by Petersen and Reyes drove in Freeman. As Tyler Struck drew a walk to load up the bases, Yealex Lopez hit a sacrifice fly that brought Petersen home. After four and a half innings, Midland held a substantial 7-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, Mount Marty ended its scoreless streak with a double followed by a two-run homer to make it 7-2.
The top of the 6th inning saw back-to-back walks from the Lancer’s new pitcher, putting Joshua Hardamon and Freeman on base. As Petersen singled, Hardamon raced home. Following another trip to the mound and a subsequent change in pitchers, Reyes loaded the bases with a single through the right side. Fatigue and control issues continued to plague the Mount Marty hurlers as Ortega walked, bringing Freeman home to score. A sacrifice fly by Struck scored another run as Midland extended its lead to 10-2 through six complete innings.
Over the next two innings, Mount Marty managed to add a run in the 7th and 8th. In the 9th, Connor Petersen moved onto the mound for his first appearance of the year. He struck out a pair of Lancers to close out the 10-4 victory for the Warriors.
Statistical Standouts
- Yealex Lopez: 1-for-5, 3 RBI
- Connor Petersen: 4-for-5, RBI, R, 2B… 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K
- Nathaniel Reyes: 3-for-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B
- Tyler Struck: 1-for-3, 2 RBI
- Cole Hupke: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 8 K
“Anytime you get to play meaningful games in May, it is a lot of fun. The boys played hard today in both games,” commented head coach Shea Bennett. “This time of year, it is about surviving and advancing. We survived and look forward to the challenge tomorrow.”
Midland (32-18) will face Concordia (39-12) in the bracket championship on Saturday, May 4. The scheduled noon start time may be altered with impending weather moving through the area overnight. Stay tuned to the Midland Athletics website and social media for any updates.
