Courtesy of Midland Athletics
LINCOLN, Neb. — Midland University hosted Dakota State University in a nonconference matchup Wednesday afternoon at a neutral site in Lincoln, Nebraska. The games were originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Madison, South Dakota, but were moved due to inclement weather. The Warriors split the doubleheader, earning a 9-2 victory in Game 1 before falling 8-4 in Game 2.
GAME ONE: Midland 9, Dakota State 2
The Warriors opened the first inning with two outs as Jimmy Martinez, Owen Glover and Cooper Benecke drew three consecutive walks to load the bases. Adam Muniz Jr. followed with a bases-clearing double to give Midland an early 3-0 lead.
Midland continued its momentum in the second inning. Brody Boyle led off with a single, followed by a double from Hunter Spencer and a walk by Martinez to once again load the bases. Glover was hit by a pitch to score Boyle. Benecke then delivered the big swing — a grand slam — extending the Warriors’ lead to 8-0 by the end of the inning.
The Trojans got on the board in the top of the third with three consecutive singles to make it 8-1.
Easton Mitchell opened the bottom of the third with a double, and Jax Sorensen entered as a pinch runner. A single by Boyle advanced Sorensen to third, and a groundout brought him home to extend Midland’s lead to 9-1.
After three quiet innings, Dakota State added a run in the seventh on two singles and a sacrifice fly, but Midland held on for the 9-2 win.
Owen Kelley earned the victory, pitching five innings and allowing one earned run on six hits with one strikeout.
Statistical Standouts:
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Brody Boyle: 2-for-4, R
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Hunter Spencer: 2-for-4, R
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Cooper Benecke: 1-for-2, HR, 4 RBI, R
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Adam Muniz Jr.: 1-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI
GAME TWO: Dakota State 8, Midland 4
Midland struck first in the opening inning. Martinez singled, and Glover was hit by a pitch. Benecke followed with a single to center field to score Martinez and give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
The Trojans evened the score in the second with a solo home run.
Midland responded in the third when Benecke hit a solo homer to regain the lead, 2-1.
Dakota State took control in the fifth with a three-run home run to move ahead 5-2.
Spencer led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, and Martinez followed with a single of his own, advancing to second on the throw and moving Spencer to third. Spencer scored on a Trojan error. Benecke added another single to advance Martinez to third, and a sacrifice fly brought him home to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Dakota State extended its lead in the seventh with back-to-back doubles and two singles, scoring three runs to make it 8-4.
The Trojans held Midland scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
Statistical Standouts:
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Jimmy Martinez: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Midland (2-8) will now prepare to travel to West Palm Beach, Florida, for a four-game series against No. 24 Keiser University (6-4) from Feb. 27–March 1. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, followed by a doubleheader at 10 a.m. Saturday and a single game at 10 a.m. Sunday.
