New Albany, Ind. – The Midway University baseball team returned to the diamond on Thursday afternoon when they traveled to New Albany, Ind. to take on the defending regular season conference champion Indiana University Southeast in a River States Conference showdown.
The Eagles (8-10, 5-1 RSC) saw their five game win streak snapped when the Grenadiers (8-6, 4-2 RSC) won the first game 6-5, but the Eagles secured the split after they won the second game of the twinbill 9-6.
The Eagles and the Grenadiers will wrap up their four-game series on Friday afternoon when they meet in another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
Game 1: IU Southeast 6, Midway 5
The Eagles' offense got off to a quick start in the opener as they scored two runs in the second inning. With one out, Haden Fox (Somerset, Ky.) singled and Reid Battles (Denton, Texas) reached on a walk to put runners at first and second for Francisco Quinonez (Tampa, Fla.).
Quinonez delivered a double to left-center to score Fox from second and move Battles up to third. The next batter up, Will Broady (Greenville, Ky.) grounded out to shortstop to score Battles giving Midway the 2-0 lead.
The Grenadiers battled back in the bottom half scoring four runs to take a 4-2 lead, but the Eagles battled back with two runs in the top of the third to tie the game back up.
Hector Quinones (Barceloneta, PR) and Danny Maguire (Dana Point, Calif.) both singled and stole second putting runners at second and third with one out. The Grenadier pitcher then threw back-to-back balls in the dirt that allowed both Quinones and Maguire to score.
After IU Southeast took a 5-4 lead in the fourth, the Eagles tied it right back up with a run in the top of the fifth. Maguire on a one-out walk and after a pitching change, Maguire moved to third on a stolen base. Battles then singled to score Maguire.
Midway starter, Chase Heslep (Bellingham, Wash.), was pulled to start the fifth inning for Conner Lindsay (Nicholasville, Ky.). Heslep was dealt with the no decision after allowing five runs – four earned – on seven hits in four innings on the bump.
Lindsay allowed an unearned run in the fifth inning as IU Southeast took a 6-5 lead. The Eagles had a runner advance to second in the sixth, but was stranded there after a fly out ended the frame. Lindsay started the sixth, but was pulled for Tyler Jones (Huntington Beach, Calif.).
Jones tossed a scoreless sixth without surrendering a hit to keep the Eagles within striking distance at 6-5. In the seventh, Quinonez reached on a two-out walk. Pinch hitter, DJ Lewis (San Diego, Calif.) took one for a ride, but ended up flying out to center as IU Southeast walked away with the 6-5 win.
Taking the loss for Midway was Lindsay after allowing the unearned run in the fifth.
Game 2: Midway 9, IU Southeast 6
Just like the first game, the Eagles got off to a quick start with a run in the first frame. Josh Wenning (Palmyra, Ind.) opened the game with a triple to deep right, then Matthew Olson (Louisville, Ky.) delivered a single to score Wenning from third.
After Midway starter, James Davenport (Louisville, Ky.) got a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half, the Midway offense was right back at it with three runs in the second pushing their lead to 4-0.
Carlos Cespedes (Santo Domingo, D.R.) opened the inning with a single and after a sac bunt, the junior moved to second with one out. Koy Lindsey (Sonora, Ky.) then singled to score Cespedes as Will Broady was called upon to pinch run for Lindsey.
After Reid Battles bunted and reached on a base hit and Broady stole third, Wenning was at it again with a single to score both Broady and Battles to extend the lead to 4-0. The Grenadiers battled back and got a run back in the bottom half, but the Eagles matched it in the third.
Danny Maguire ripped a one-out double to deep left and Cespedes followed suite with a double of his own to score Maguire from second.
The Midway bats then fell silent for the next couple innings as IU Southeast scored two in the third and one in the fifth, but the Eagles responded with a four spot in the sixth to push the lead back out to 9-4.
Cespedes began the rally with a single as two batters later, Tyler Jones, singled to score the junior. With Broady pinch running for Jones, Lindsey ripped a double to left-center to score Broady all the way from first.
After Scott Heideman (Elizabethtown, Ky.) was called upon to pinch run for Lindsey, Wenning reached on an error that allowed Heideman to score from third. Wenning then moved to second when Olson reached on a walk as Wenning scored on a single from Hector Quinones.
Midway took a 9-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh as Derek Jones (Mt. Washington, Ky.) came in from the bullpen to close the game out. The Grenadiers ended up loaded the bases as Jones allowed a pair of unearned runs before Quinones came in with two outs and got a strikeout to seal the 9-6 win. The save was the first of the season for Quinones.
Davenport (1-0) took home the win tossing 4.1 innings allowing four runs – two earned – on seven hits. Tyler Jones replaced Davenport with one out in the fifth and recorded five outs allowing just one hit.
The Eagles' offense had their best showing the season posting season-highs in both runs (nine) and hits (13). Koy Lindsey led the offensive attack going 3-for-3 with two RBI's, while Carlos Cespedes went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wenning added two hits, three RBI's and also scored two runs.
Follow Midway Eagles Athletics
