No. 10 Warriors Open Season with Pair of Wins

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – No. 10-ranked Midland University opened its 2024 softball season on Friday with a pair of games inside the American State Bank (ASB) Sports Complex. The day began with a hard-fought 4-1 win over an up-and-coming Kansas Wesleyan University team followed by a 14-0 shutout of Culver-Stockton College.

GAME 1: Midland 4, Kansas Wesleyan 1

Aliyah Rincon got the start in the circle to begin the season for the Warriors and had a strong start to her senior season. In the top of the 1st, she gave up a single to the third batter of the game but struck out two Coyotes in the frame to set the tone. In the 2nd, it was a quick 1-2-3 top half of the inning as all three batters swung and missed at strike three for KWU.

In the Midland half of the 2nd, senior All-American, Roni Foote led off the inning with a single to center. After getting pushed up to third with singles by Amanda Schmaderer and Matti Reiling, Foote was brought in for the season's first run as Rincon drew a walk.

Kansas Wesleyan found an answer in the top of the 3rd as it worked a lead-off walk. They would manufacture the tying run with a sacrifice grounder followed by a single into right field.

After being held quiet in the bottom of the 3rd, the Warriors worked their way back into the lead in the 4th. Emily Prai, another All-American senior, reached on a one-out single and then moved into scoring position with a steal of second. Newcomer Jayci Reimers drove in the go-ahead run with a single to right, making it a 2-1 game just past the midway point.

It was a quiet 5th inning for both sides as each pitcher was able to set down the batters in order. The 6th saw KWU get a runner on via a hit-by-pitch and then get moved over with a sacrifice. They would leave her stranded as Rincon and the Warriors worked out of the jam.

During the bottom of the inning, Midland made the defense pay as Mia Orduna reached on an error. Halle Meyer swapped in to run and quickly found herself on second with a passed ball. After Alexis Page moved Meyer to third, Prai drove her in with a sacrifice fly to left field. Reimers, who had the RBI to put Midland up in the 3rd, added to her collegiate debut with a solo home run in the 6th.

In the 7th, the Warriors' defense closed the book on the Coyotes with a pair of pop-outs followed by one final strikeout for Rincon. She went 7.0 innings with 1 run and 2 hits allowed while striking out 10 batters.

Statistical Standouts

• Emily Prai: 1-for-3, R, RBI, SB
• Jayci Reimers: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, HR
• Roni Foote: 2-for-3, R
• Aliyah Rincon: 7.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 10 K

GAME 2: Midland 14, Culver-Stockton 0

Taking the turf shortly after their season-opening win, Midland got its offense going early as it built a 7-0 lead in the first two innings. In the top of the first, Roni Foote drove in Emily Prai who led off the game with a walk.

The 2nd saw Camille Vestal open the frame with a single to center. After Aja Henderson replaced her with a fielder's choice, Matti Reiling became a baserunner with an infield single to the circle. Prai loaded the bases with another infield single and then Jayci Reimers started the offensive onslaught with an RBI single. Reese Floro drove in two more with a single to right field and then Foote cleared the bases with her first home run of the year to make it 7-0. It was the 42nd of her career, putting her in sole position atop the Midland leaderboard.

Paeton Coler and the Warriors' defense dominated the middle innings as they protected the big lead. Coler, who had three strikeouts in the first two innings, added five more on the way to the complete game shutout.

With the game stuck at 7-0 heading into the 6th, Midland's bats awoke once more. Foote hit her second homerun, a literal roof-scraper to make it 9-0.

Patience at the plate kept the inning going as Amanda Schmaderer and Vestal each earned walks ahead of a single by Henderson. With the bases full of Warriors, Isabelle Pagan picked up her first RBI of the season, earning a free pass to first with a walk.

With the bases still loaded with two outs, Kylie Phillips came off the bench for her first appearance of the season. She came through with a huge triple down the line and then made her way into score following an error by the middle infield of the Wildcats.

In the bottom of the inning, Culver-Stockton was unable to score the necessary runs needed to prolong the game and Midland won via the mercy rule, 14-0 in six innings.

Statistical Standouts

• Roni Foote: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI
• Emily Prai: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
• Reese Floro: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
• Kylie Phillips: 1-for-1, R, 3 RBI
• Amanda Schmaderer: 2-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Paeton Coler: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 8 K

Midland (2-0) will take on two more opponents on Saturday inside the ASB Dome. At 10:00 a.m., they'll face William Penn (1-1) and then go up against Buena Vista (0-0) at 2:00 p.m. to wrap up their opening weekend of action.