Offenses Ignite as Warriors Split with Hastings at Home

FREMONT, NEB. – Midland University and Hastings College took to the diamond at Moller Field on Sunday for a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) doubleheader. With the wind blowing out at a sustained 35 miles per hour most of the evening, runs were aplenty in the twin bill with a combined 44 runs scored. The Broncos rallied back to take the opener, 15-14, and then the Warriors rebounded with a 10-5 win in game two. The split moves Midland to 18-20 on the year and 10-10 in conference play. Hastings' record now sits at 12-24 overall and 6-10 in the GPAC.

GAME ONE: Hastings 15, Midland 14

The Broncos started the scoring with a run off a one-out single to center field in the 1st.

Midland responded as Beau Boyle drew a walk and then Yealex Lopez singled to left field. Throwing errors by the Broncos allowed Boyle to score and advanced Lopez to third. The next pitch plunked Hadyn Crawford to put runners at corners. After a sacrifice fly, Jacob Liquori drew a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in Lopez for the second run of the inning and kept things going for the Warriors. Alec Villanueva drove in Crawford with an RBI groundout. After one inning, Midland led Hastings, 3-1.

Hastings added another run to the board in the top of the 2nd, keeping the offensive theme of the game going.

In the home half of the inning, Trey Nichols drew a walk and then Nathaniel Reyes singled to left field to put two runners aboard. A sacrifice fly advanced Nichols to third, and then a double by Lopez scored both runners to put the Warriors up 5-2.

Crawford singled and then made his way to third after the attempt to get Lopez scoring at home and an error by the Broncos. Petersen kept the runs coming with a single to left, scoring Crawford. During the next at-bat, he moved up to third with a groundout and then scored on a wild pitch. Through two innings, the MU lead stood at 8-2.

Hastings fired up their bats in each of its next two at-bats, plating four runs in the 3rd and four in the 4th. Meanwhile, Midland scored three in between.

After Jayden Gibson reached via an error, Kirkland came in as the courtesy runner and would make his way home as Trey Nichols doubled to right center. Reyes kept the inning going with a single through the left side, putting runners at the corners for the top of the batting order.

Nichols made his way home as Hastings recorded a double-play. After Lopez drew a walk, Crawford singled to shortstop. The bases would load up as Petersen was hit by an inside pitch from the Broncos' pitcher. A bases-loaded walk to Jacob Liquori brought in the third and final run of the inning.

With Hastings pulling within a run, 11-10, with a grand slam in the top of the 4th, Midland looked to boost their lead. Midland was able to scratch two runs across as Tyler Foster drove in Kirkland from third with an RBI groundout. Then Lopez singled to right, scoring Reyes who had reached on a walk.

In the 5th, Petersen led off with a solo homer left field, bringing the Warriors' lead to 14-10.

Looking to rally back once more, Hastings' bats came alive for its biggest inning of the night in the 6th. They hit a three-run homer to pull within a run and then drove in the tying and would-be winning run with a two-out single. They would hold the Warriors' bats at bay in the 6th and 7th for the 15-14 victory.

Statistical Standouts

• Yealex Lopez: 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B
• Connor Petersen: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 2B, SAC
• Trey Nichols: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, 2B
• Tyler Foster: 1-for-2, RBI, 2B

GAME TWO: Miland 10, Hastings 5

Hastings opened up game two with a run off a lead-off double, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly.

In Midland's first at-bat, Beau Boyle reached via a hit-by-pitch and then quickly stole second, showcasing his speed. Yealex Lopez singled to right, bringing home the first run for the Warriors. Connor Petersen hit a one-out single to center, moving Lopez over to second. After the second out was retired, Hastings was called for a balk that allowed Lopez to score. Midland led 2-1 after one inning.

After holding the Broncos scoreless, Jayden Gibson drew a walk to start things off in the home half of the 2nd. Ben Kirkland came in as a courtesy runner and stole second base. A single by Boyle scored Kirkland to make it 3-1.

In the top of the 3rd, Hastings hit a two-run home run and then scored two more on a two-out double to take its first lead of game two, 5-3. Unfortunately for them, those runs would prove to be the last as the Warriors' defense stood their ground over the next four innings.

Down by two runs, Alec Villanueva got one run back as he hit a one-out single into right field which allowed Petersen, who reached on an error, to score and bring Midland within a run.

After a quiet 4thinning, the Warriors broke the drought with a pair of runs as Gibson hit a two-RBI double down the leftfield line, scoring Villanueva and Liquori.

Midland boosted its lead in the 6th. A leadoff double by Lopez followed by an error put him on third. A sacrifice fly by Crawford brought him home to make it 7-5.

Liquori hit a two-out single and made his way to third off another multi-base error by the Broncos. Villanueva drove him in with a double down the leftfield line. Gibson capped off the scoring with a two-run homer, making it a 10-5 game through six innings.

Jay Lambert was stellar on the mound giving the Warriors 6.0 innings of work. He earned the win with three earned runs while picking up eight strikeouts. Nichols came in as a relief in the final inning, getting three straight strikeouts to end the game. 

Statistical Standouts

• Jayden Gibson: 2-for-2, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR, 2B, BB
• Alec Villanueva: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
• Yealex Lopez: 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B
• Jacob Liquori: 3-for-4, 2 R
• Jay Lambert: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 8 K

Midland (18-20) is scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday when they host Peru State (11-17) in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on April 19 at Historic Moller Field.