Updated Bracket

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- After having a week of preparation, the Midway baseball team opened play in the River States Conference Tournament on Thursday (May 5) when they took on IU Kokomo (Ind.) at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

In a game that featured 23 combined runs on 29 hits, the Eagles got off to a terrific start scoring 12 runs in their first six plate appearances. IU Kokomo nearly erased an 11-6 deficit, but the Eagles held on for the 12-11 victory.

Following the victory, Luther Bramblett's squad improves to 18-29 on the season, while the Cougars slip to 26-20 overall on the year.

Midway now advances on in the winner's bracket as they'll meet the No. 2 seed Point Park (Pa.) when the tournament resumes on Saturday. First pitch for that contest is set for 7 p.m. ET. IU Kokomo will now face elimination when they take on top seeded IU Southeast (Ind.).

In the middle of Midway's matchup with IU Kokomo on Thursday night the decision was made to push the tournament back a day due to the projected weather forecast on Friday.

Trailing 5-4 following the second frame, the Eagles grabbed the lead for good with a five run third inning. Josh Halterman (Lexington, Ky.) singled and scored on an error to open the inning, while Bryant Fontanez (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) added an RBI single two batters later.

Nick Eastham (Morehead, Ky.) and Grant Hotchkiss (Richmond, Ky.) each picked up an RBI after reaching on a pair of bases loaded walks, while Fontanez later capped the five-run inning by scoring on an error by the shortstop.

IU Kokomo scratched a run across in the bottom half, but Midway answered with two more in the top of the fourth. With two outs and a runner on third, Fontanez went the other way and crushed a two-run home run that cleared the right field fence pushing Midway's lead to 11-6.

Midway pushed across one final insurance run in the top of the sixth. Fontanez was at it once again driving in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly making the score 12-9.

Skyler Lucas (Elizabethtown, Ky.) entered the game in the fifth and tossed two innings before giving way to Jesse Komoroski who entered with a 12-11 lead.

The freshman right-hander from Memphis, Tenn. pitched three shutout innings scattering five hits to nail down his first save of the season. Lucas, meanwhile, picked up his third win of the season. Blake Kincaid (Columbia, Tenn.) got the start and allowing eight runs – six earned – on eight hits in his four innings of work.

Fontanez led the way at the dish going 2-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs. Cameron Smith (Nicholasville, Ky.) added three hits and two runs, while Max Hill (Stockholm, Sweden), Cameron Nicholas (Owensboro, Ky.) and Halterman each added two hits apiece. Eastham, meanwhile, drove in three runs in the win.

The Eagles now advance in the winner's bracket where they'll meet the Pioneers on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Point Park swept the season series on April 15-16 in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Live stats and live video will be available for the contest on Saturday night.

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