Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. — Midland University opened conference action by hosting Dordt University in a doubleheader Friday afternoon to kick off the Great Plains Athletic Conference season. The Warriors fell in game one, 9-4, but bounced back with a 9-4 win in game two over the Defenders to split the day.
GAME ONE: Dordt 9, Midland 4
The Warriors opened the game with the bases loaded as Brody Boyle and Dax Wandlerdrew back-to-back walks and Eimir Perez Jr. was hit by a pitch. Jimmy Martinez was then hit by a pitch to bring in Boyle. A single through the left side by Owen Glover brought home Perez Jr. and Wandler as Midland jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.
After a quiet second inning, the Defenders responded in the third inning with back-to-back batters hit by a pitch followed by a double to put two runs on the board. A walk put another Defender on, and a single brought in another run to make it 3-2. A walk, error and flyout brought in three more runs to give Dordt a 5-3 lead.
Jimmy Martinez answered in the bottom of the third with a home run to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Dordt extended the gap in the top of the fourth, collecting two more runs on two hits to make it 7-4.
The Defenders added another run on a double followed by an error to make it 8-4 after five innings.
After a quiet sixth inning, Dordt tacked on the final run with a hit by pitch and single to hand Midland a 9-4 loss.
Statistical Standouts:
Brody Boyle: 2-for-3, R, BB
Jimmy Martinez: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, HR, BB
Owen Glover: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
GAME TWO: Midland 9, Dordt 4
After a quiet first inning, Hunter Spencer got the Warriors going with a double to left field in the second inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A single by Adam Muniz Jr. brought Spencer home to put Midland on the board, 1-0, as Jax Sorensen entered to pinch run for Muniz Jr. Anthony Martinez was then hit by a pitch. Sorensen later stole home during a double steal with Martinez, giving Midland a 2-0 lead.
Dax Wandler reached first on a passed ball, and Eimir Perez Jr. kept the Warrior momentum going in the third with a two-run homer to right field to boost the lead to 4-0. Owen Glover followed with a home run of his own to make it 5-0.
The hot bats continued for the Warriors in the fourth as Chase Bouges homered to left field to make it 6-0.
Midland kept rolling in the fifth as Owen Glover led off with a single through the left side and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Muniz Jr. singled up the middle to put runners on the corners, with Sorensen again entering as a pinch runner. Anthony Martinez singled to left-center to bring Sorensen home. Bouges followed with a single to left field to put two runners on. Brody Boyle then tripled down the right-field line to bring home Bouges and Martinez, boosting the Warriors’ lead to 9-0.
Dordt got on the board in the seventh inning with back-to-back doubles to make it 9-1.
After a quiet eighth inning, the Defenders attempted a comeback in the ninth by loading the bases with a walk, error and single. The next batter lined into a double play turned by Wandler and Spencer, leaving one runner aboard. A single followed by a double allowed three runs to score for Dordt, but the Warriors held on and struck out the final batter to secure Midland’s first conference win of the season, 9-4.
Owen Kelley picked up the win, pitching 6.0 innings while allowing five hits, no runs and striking out five.
Statistical Standouts
Brody Boyle: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 3B
Eimir Perez Jr.: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, HR
Owen Glover: 2-for-5, RBI, HR
Adam Muniz Jr.: 2-for-3, RBI
Hunter Spencer: 2-for-4, 2B
Chase Bouges: 2-for-3, RBI, HR, 2 R, BB
“Owen Kelley did what he normally does and put our team in a good spot to win a game,” said head coach Shea Bennett. “It was good to see the hitters come to life with a couple of long balls. We’re looking to come out tomorrow and win the series.”
Midland (6-14, 1-1 GPAC) will wrap up the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday, March 14, against Dordt (11-11, 1-1 GPAC). First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m., with game two to follow.
