MIDWAY, Ky. - A day after struggling mightily to bring home runners in scoring position, the Midway baseball team more than made up for it, sweeping a double-header and securing a three-game series win over River States Conference opponent Riio Grande (Ohio).
The Eagles scored six runs in the fourth inning of a 12-2 win in games one and six more in the third of a 7-1 win in the second game. Most impressive is that all 12 of those runs came with two outs.
Josh Halterman led the offense with five RBIs on the day, four of them coming in a 4-for-5 hitting performance in the opener.
Grant Hotchkiss had three hits, four runs scored and two RBIs while also becoming Midway's all-time walks leader, drawing the 99th and 100th of his career.
GAME ONE: MIDWAY 12, RIO GRANDE 2 (FIVE INNINGS)
After leaving eight runners in scoring position
in a 5-1 loss to the Red Storm Friday, Midway left a man on third in the first inning before finally breaking through in an unlikely way in the second.
With
Cole Malawy on third,
Britten Robinson made very light contact with an inside pitch, but found just enough opening near third base to reach safely and drive in a run. That was followed by a two-out Halterman RBI single in the third to put the Eagles ahead 2-1.
The fourth inning seemed like it would be a quiet one as the first two Midway batters were retired. But from that point, Red Storm pitchers couldn't find the plate, as the next four batters walked before
Peyton Henry was hit by a pitch.
His team now up 4-1, Halterman drove in two more on the first hit of the inning with a single before eventually scoring on a
Barrett McGill single.
Midway then added four more runs in the seventh inning to get its first run-rule win of the season. Hotchkiss blasted a two-run double before Halterman made it 11-2 with another RBI single.
Then, with two outs, Ayden Schiandra ended the game with an RBI single.
McGill, who didn't hit in the second game, reached base eight times in nine plate appearances in the series. Hotchkiss, who had his 12th multi-walk game of the season, broke the previous career program record of 98, set by 2023 graduate Ryan Davis.
On the mound, starter
Tommy Henninger didn't allow a run after the first inning, while
Jackson Lee allowed on unearned run in three innings, as the pair combined for seven strikeouts.
GAME TWO: MIDWAY 7, RIO GRANDE 1
After
Eli Glasscock started the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning, Rio responded with an unearned run in the top of the third before Midway immediately answered with another six-run inning.
With men on first and second with two out, Halterman had his final RBI of the day on a single. Two batters later,
Mahrlon Torres made it 4-1 Midway with a single.
The Eagles then got two more free pass runs as
Carlos Canales and
Grant Stone were both hit by pitches with the bases loaded.
Isaac Tencza concluded the scoring with a two-run single.
Midway wouldn't score again, but wouldn't need to thanks to a great start by
Dylan Burton, who struck out three without a walk while giving up four hits and one unearned run in five innings.
Dalton Soergel and
Jesse Komoroski then both threw an inning of shutout relief, both striking out two.
The wins move the Eagles to 13-14 overall and 7-5 in the River States Conference, where they are currently tied third with Shawnee State.
Currently in the midst of a 13-game home stand, Midway hosts Thomas More (Ky.) at 3 p.m. Tuesday before taking on Indiana Kokomo in a three-game RSC series next Friday and Saturday.
