TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - It was a bad scenario on repeat for the Midway softball team, which lost a pair of seventh-inning leads on its way to two one-run, extra-inning losses to River States Conference foe Saint Mary of the Woods Tuesday.
The Eagles, who've been ahead in the seventh inning in each of their last three losses, lost Tuesday's opener 8-7 in 11 innings before dropping game two 9-8 in nine.
GAME ONE: SMWC 8, MIDWAY 7 (11 INNINGS)
Despite giving up six runs in the third inning, the Eagles looked like they were going to make the seventh-inning comeback. After rallying to get within 6-5 on a two-run
Molly Wooldridge home run, Midway took the lead 7-6, thanks to RBI singles by
Randi Delong and
Payton Druen.
But the advantage would vanish two pitches into the inning's bottom half, when Bailey Duke tied the game with a home run.
Midway put at least one runner on in each additional inning, even putting one in scoring position in the ninth, but was unable to bring anyone home. The Pomeroys then ended the game whe Raegan Manhart opened the 11th with a single before coming home on a Hannah Boardman ground ball.
Delong continued her excellent season with four hits and two RBIs. Karrington Briscoe had three hits as she and Diamon Wills both scored two runs.
GAME TWO: SMWCÂ 9, MIDWAY 8 (9 INNINGS)
Delong was virtually unstoppable again in game two, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, and she seemed to give the Eagles all the momentum they'd need with a solo home run in the fourth inning that put Midway ahead 8-4.
But despite allowing 14 Midway hits, the Pomeroys countered with 19 of their own and were able to inch within 8-6 going into the bottom of the seventh.
From there, the Eagles would commit two costly errors to open the door for a comeback, with Saint Mary of the Woods again extending the game on a game-tying Kyar McVey RBI single.
Midway put a runner on second in both the eighth and ninth but again was unable to score as Manhart again got to play the hero, driving in the winning run on a single.
Like Delong, fellow slugger Wooldridge also had a monster day, driving in four runs in game two, three of which came on a second-inning home run.
Rhealee Ellis, Druen and
Peyton Henderson added two hits, with Delong and
Jayden Timmermans both scoring twice.
The losses drop Midway to 9-23 overall and 8-16 in the River States Conference. The Eagles are home for a pair of tough conference doubleheaders this weekend, starting with a visit from Rio Grande beginning at 2 p.m. Friday.
Â
