Early errors helped the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball team (6-6 overall) earn their first victory over the Washington Demons (3-8 overall) in nearly five years. As heard on FM 106.1 and KCIIRadio.com, the two KCII local teams faced off at Paul N. Bailey Field in the annual strike out cancer game. Five Washington errors committed led to seven unearned runs scored by Mid-Prairie, helping the Golden Hawks to a 10-3 victory over the Demons.
After a scoreless first inning, Washington turned a lead off double by Blake Weidman into a 1-0 advantage after a sacrifice fly scored Weidman. Two fielding errors in the bottom of the second platted two Mid-Prairie runs, giving black and gold the lead for good. The Golden Hawks turned two additional Demon errors in the bottom of the third into four more runs for a 6-1 advantage. After Washington recorded a run in the 4th inning, their final fielding error of the night scored another Golden Hawk, making the score 7-2. Mid-Prairie add three more runs in the sixth for a 10-2 lead. The Demons scored a single run in the top of the seventh inning for a 10-3 final score.
Mid-Prairie head coach Andy Greiner says despite coming off a week layoff, the team played their best game of the season, “Being off for seven days is not a place we are at very often,” Greiner said, “Really happy the way the kids responded and we are looking forward to Thursday (at North Cedar).”
The victory was the first for Mid-Prairie over Washington in baseball since a 19-4 victory in Wellman on June 17, 2010, and extends the team’s season long winning streak to four games. The Golden Hawks return to the diamond on Thursday, traveling to face River Valley Conference adversary the North Cedar Knights (2-9 overall).
The loss drops Washington to 3-8 overall, extending the Demons’ losing streak to five games. Washington returns to the field on Thursday in a Southeast Conference doubleheader versus the Fort Madison Bloodhounds (0-11 overall). Live play-by-play coverage from Dick Sojka Memorial Field begins with the Washington Hy-Vee Pregame Show at 5 p.m. on FM 106.1 and KCIIRadio.com.