MU Athletics
Jeff Braun, Sports Information Director
FREMONT – Midland University earned their second straight conference sweep on Thursday night at home with a pair of wins over Hastings College. The Warriors edged the Broncos 2-1 in game one before winning the second game via run-rule, 8-0, in five innings. Midland (24-11, 11-3 GPAC) moves into sole possession of first place with the wins while Hastings (9-27, 3-9 GPAC) sits in ninth place. Midland entered the day in a three-way tie with Northwestern and Morningside, who were both off and have a 9-3 conference mark.
Jaylee Hinrichs pitched a gem in the opening game. She struck out 11 batters while allowing just 3 hits and didn’t allow an earned run. The lone run by the Broncos came in the top of the 5th after a pass ball moved the runner to third base and then scored on a single by the next batter.
Midland responded in the bottom of the 5th with a run of their own. Katlin Anderssingled home Andrea Cespedes on ball hit to left field with the hit-and-run on.
In the 6th, Tessa Kinart scored on a high pop up hit by Nicole O’Haver that bounced off the pitcher’s glove and then rolled to the back stop.
Hinrichs would strike out all three batters in the top of the 7th to secure the one run win.
Game two saw the Warriors’ bats come alive as they pounced on the Broncos for three runs in the 3rd, three in the 4th and then a pair of runs in the 5th to end the game via the mercy rule.
Sierra Athow hit a three-run homer in the 3rd to break the scoreless tie.
Casey Keene, Cespedes and Athow each drove in a run the next inning in back-to-back-to-back plate appearances. Keene and Cespedes both singled in their RBI while Athow hit a sacrifice fly to center field that just missed being her second home run of the night by a few feet.
In the 5th, after holding the Broncos scoreless, Midland turned to their bench to finish off game. Tammie Yoshimori came on to pinch hit and drew a walk. Delaney Brewer, who was inserted for defense the inning before, hit a single in her first at bat and then Angela Brazil followed that with a single of her own that brought in Yoshimori.
Kelsey Koozer came up to pinch hit next and after striking out, she ended up making it to first base on a wild pitch to load the bases. With no outs, Jamie Phares came to the plate and drove in the winning run with a single to center field to end the game.
Madison Plummer earned the game two victory. She struck out four batters while allowing six hits and no runs in 5.0 innings.
Midland will look to keep their streak going with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend. The Warriors travel to Sioux City, Iowa on Saturday to play Briar Cliff (5-24, 2-10 GPAC) and then will play Dakota Wesleyan (10-18, 6-4 GPAC) in Fremont. That game was supposed to be played in Mitchell, South Dakota but with the recent snow storm that came through, the Tigers’ field is not playable.