WYOMING
Taking advantage of what visiting Central City was giving them, the Midland baseball team had no trouble soaring past the visiting Wildcats Monday, June 20.
And the Eagles (6-15, 3-6) did a little damage of their own along the way, too, taking a 12-2 decision that ended in five frames.
With eighth-grade pitcher Anthony Harrington keeping the Central City offense at bay most of the night, Midland went to work in the bottom of the second breaking a scoreless tie when Warren Etten and Kaleb Westphal both came around to score with some help from a few Wildcat walks and errors.
After the visitors plated a run of their own in the top of the third, the Eagles tacked on four runs in the bottom half when Zain Sauer, Harrington, Matt Sauer and Etten all crossed the plate.
Leading 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the hosts broke the game open when Jamisen Dodge, Zain Sauer, Harrington, Matt Sauer and Etten all scored in consecutive at-bats.
Midland took advantage of walks, errors and hit by pitches to move runners around the bases while a Westphal double was also a big hit in the frame.
The hosts won the game in walk-off style in the bottom of the fifth when Dodge worked a lead-off walk, stole second and scored thanks to a Zain Sauer RBI single to end it.
Harrington was solid on the mound tossing four frames allowing just five hits and one earned run while striking out four before Kael Cress worked the final inning.
Etten and Westphal led the seven-hit Eagle offense each ripping two hits while Westphal added three RBIs and Etten three runs scored.
Midland batters also worked six walks and took advantage of seven Central City errors.
Taking on one of the top teams in the Tri-Rivers Conference East division in perennial powerhouse Lisbon Tuesday, June 21, the Eagles gave the talented and host Lions all they could ask for before eventually succumbing to a 6-2 final.
And it was Midland who struck first as Etten worked a first-inning one-out walk ahead of a Zain Sauer single to set the Eagle offense in motion and Harrington kept it going ripping a two-run single that handed the visitors a quick 2-0 advantage.
It would be all Midland would get the rest of the way, though the Eagles did have runners on base and threaten several times during the final six innings.
The Lions knotted the score with two in the bottom of the second then added to their advantage with two more in each of the third and fourth frames.
Zain Sauer had a big night going a perfect 3-for-3 while Etten was outstanding on the hill pitching all six innings allowing seven Lisbon hits and four earned runs.
Midland looked to get back to their winning ways at Easton Valley Thursday, June 23, but instead were handed a pair of narrow setbacks in a twin bill with the host River Hawks, opening with a 10-6 loss that saw the Eagles lead 6-1 early on.
Dodge walked and scored ahead of a Zain Sauer double in the top of the first while Sauer and Harrington also crossed the plate in the frame as Midland jumped to a quick 3-0 advantage.
After Easton Valley plated one in the bottom half, the Eagle offense went right back to work in the third as Etten (walk), Zain Sauer (single) and Matt Sauer (single) all scored before the River Hawks were able to squelch the Midland momentum with an inning-ending double play.
The hosts would keep that momentum the rest of the way scoring the game’s final nine runs, including four in the bottom of the third and three more in the fourth that gave the River Hawks a lead they would not lose.
Zain Sauer and Westphal each ripped two hits leading a seven-hit offense for the visitors while Dodge and Cress split the six innings on the mound combining for four strikeouts.
The finale saw more Eagle heartbreak as a three-run Easton Valley bottom of the sixth erased what had been a 4-2 Midland lead and ended as a 5-4 River Hawk triumph.
A Harrington single in the top of the third got the Eagles on the board scoring Etten before Zain Sauer also scored thanks to an Easton Valley error and the visitors were up 2-0.
The hosts quickly tied the contest with two in the bottom half, but single runs in the fifth (Westphal) and sixth (Zain Sauer) again gave Midland a two-run advantage before the huge three-run bottom of the sixth for the hosts that proved to be the difference.
The Eagles did try and rally in their final at-bat as Seth Bixler led off with a walk and stole second, but the hosts were able to extinguish the threat and escape with the one-run win and complete the sweep.
Zain Sauer was once again outstanding at the plate going a perfect 3-for-3 that included a fourth-inning double while Westphal added two more hits for the nine-hit Midland offense.
Zain Sauer also worked the mound duties for the Eagles going 5.1 frames allowing six hits and no earned runs while striking out six River Hawk batters. Midland did commit eight errors that led to all five Easton Valley runs.
