Versailles, Ky. – The Midway University baseball team returned to the field on Saturday afternoon when they hosted St. Francis (Ill.) in their first-ever home game played at Chandler Field in Versailles, Kentucky.
The Eagles (0-7) got solid pitching in both games of the doubleheader, but couldn't get the hits when they need them as the Fighting Saints (4-2) swept the twinbill winning the first game 2-1 and the second game 4-3.
The Eagles and the Fighting Saints will wrap up their four game series on Sunday afternoon with first pitch set for 12 p.m. ET at Chandler Field.
Game 1: St. Francis 2, Midway 1
The opener of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel with both teams throwing out their strongest arms. The game was scoreless for the first six innings, but St. Francis scored two in the top of the seventh, while Midway scored just one in the bottom of the frame
St. Francis got on the board with a pair of runs off Chase Heslep (Bellingham, Wash.) in the top of the seventh. Heslep (0-1) suffered the loss allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits, while fanning six in his seven innings of work on the bump.
It took the Eagles seven innings to do so, but they finally got to Michael Quiram in the bottom half of the seventh. The Eagles got back-to-back singles from Hector Quinones (Barceloneta, PR) and Danny Maguire (Dana Point, Calif.) to lead off the inning.
The next batter, Haden Fox (Somerset, Ky.) ripped a double to deep left field to score Quinones' pinch runner, DJ Lewis (San Diego, Calif.). After an intentional walk loaded the bases, St. Francis closer, Dan Darling, was able to coax the Eagles into a fielder's choice.
It looked as though the Eagles were going to tie the game with the tying run 90 feet away when the ball got away from the catcher, but the catcher got the ball back to the pitcher to get the runner at the plate. Darling got a ground out to end the inning and seal the 2-1 win.
Game 2: St. Francis 4, Midway 3
The second game featured a little bit more offense as the two teams combined for seven runs on 11 hits. The Fighting Saints plated two runs in the second and third innings, while Midway scored single runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings.
St. Francis broke through to Midway right-hander, Hector Quinones in the early going. Quinones (0-2) took the loss for the Eagles allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings of work. Derek Jones (Mt. Washington, Ky.) relieved Quinones in the sixth and tossed a pair of hitless innings.
The Midway offense got going in the bottom of the third with a run on one hit. After a walk to lead off the inning, Barrett Croslin (Russellville, Ky.) was hit by a pitch and was awarded first base. Croslin would later come around to score on a balk by the St. Francis pitcher.
Two innings later, the Midway offense was right back at it in the fifth. Josh Wenning (Palmyra, Ind.) worked a walk to lead off the inning and moved to third on a wild pitch and a stolen base. Quinones then helped his own cause with an RBI ground out scoring Wenning.
The game would move to the bottom of the seventh with the Eagles needing two runs to at least tie the game. A pair of two-out walks to Wenning and Quinones put runners at first and second.
The next batter up, Danny Maguire ripped a single in between the first and second basemen as Wenning scored from second cutting the deficit to 4-3. St. Francis brought in Dan Darling from the bullpen to close the game out as he got a strikeout looking to end the game.
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