Early drama and late dominance helped the No. 6 in Class 2A Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball team start the conference season with a sweep of West Branch Monday at Paul N. Bailey Field in Wellman. Game one saw the Golden Hawks grab a 4-3 walk-off win. Mid-Prairie jumped on top 2-0 in the first, on a Tatem Telfer two-run homer. The Hawks added another run on a Bowen Burmeister third inning sac fly to lead 3-0. Starter Brady Weber cruised through the first five frames, not allowing a hit, and walking two. Younger brother Brooks Weber worked a scoreless sixth. West Branch got their bats going late. Down to their final two outs, the Bears rallied, with Ian Nelson hooking a bases loaded triple into the right field corner to tie the game. A Conner Wiles bare-handed defensive gem on the very next play, a squeeze play attempt, kept the game tied at three going to the home half. Back at the plate, Mid-Prairie wasted no time, putting the first three on ahead of Brock Harland who looped a game winning single to left. After the win, Golden Hawks of the game, Telfer, Brady Weber and Harland joined the KCII Sports postgame show to talk about their role in the victory.

Telfer said, “I was in my two strike approach and got a change-up that was left a little over the middle and was able to capitalize on it. I had a pretty strong feeling it was gone. It was a good hit. It was huge in momentum early.”

Harland continued, “Brady (Weber) has really good control over his pitches. With the approach we had there, I know he can throw a good off-speed. That instills a lot of confidence in us. (On the winning hit) Obviously not the best contact. I saw the infield was in so it was probably going to fall in. I’m glad it did!”

Weber added, “First time through the order we like to attack and get ahead 0-1. With Brock (Harland) calling pitches back there, he’s been catching me for about three years now and he gets me a lot of strikes too with frame-jobs. We have a pretty good connection.”

The Hawks out hit the Bears 5-2, each team committed two errors. Carson Pence got the win for Mid-Prairie after working the seventh. Brady Weber struck out six in the start and had three hits at the plate, reaching all four times. Harland had a hit and an RBI, Burmesiter drove in one and Gentry Bontrager scored the game winner.

In the nightcap, Mid-Prairie rolled to a 7-1 win. West Branch scored in their half of the first, but from there it was all Golden Hawks as they posted a single run in every inning, first through the fifth and two more in the sixth. The Hawks had eight total hits, including Telfer’s second homer of the night, on his way to a three hit, two RBI, one run, game two. Brady Weber drove in a couple and Gingerich and Brooks Weber each had an RBI on a hit. Burmeister added a double and a run and Blake Swart scored twice and stole two bags. Burmeister got the win on the bump, working four and two thirds, giving up one hit, one run, walking five and striking out five. Bontrager threw the final two and a third in relief allowing one hit, one walk and striking out a pair. With the sweep, Mid-Prairie is 4-0 on the year, 2-0 in defense of their River Valley Conference championship from last season and are back on the diamond Thursday when they host Ottumwa.