Photo Courtesy of Jeff Yoder
The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk baseball team had it’s mettle tested on the road at Iowa City Regina Monday in a River Valley Conference doubleheader. The Golden Hawks earned a split with the Regals, falling in game one 4-3 before bouncing back to take the nightcap 6-3. Mid-Prairie entered the night at a perfect 8-0 in the River Valley with the Regals on their heels at 7-2, putting a share of first place on the line. The Golden Hawks built an early lead in the opener, with single runs in the first and second, and things stayed 2-0 Mid-Prairie through to the sixth behind another quality start on the mound from Collin Miller. Mid-Prairie would add another in the top half to go up 3-0. The Regals broke through in the home half, putting up a three spot to tie the game going to the seventh, where shortstop Jack Tierney put the Regals over the top with a walk-off solo home run to take a 4-3 win.
In the second contest, the Hawks battled through the adversity of the night, putting the ball in play and grinding out at bats to grab a split. Cain Brown started the game with a single, Dylan Henry singled to put two on with one out and the pair put on a first and third base running play that allowed Brown to scamper home and score the first run. With the 1-0 lead, Brady Weber went to work on the mound for Mid-Prairie, not allowing a base runner until the fourth. The Regals broke up the perfect game bid, and the shut out all in the same frame, with a two-out double, single and walk to load the bases in front of a Drew Streb RBI single that scored Danny Gavin and Tierney to put the Regals up 2-1. The Golden Hawks didn’t wilt, they answered back with two in the bottom half to go up again, as the first three in the inning reached. Landry Gingerich scored on a Brown fielder’s choice and Henry had a sac fly to center to drive in Miller to make it 3-2 Hawks. The insurance for Mid-Prairie came in the sixth when they batted around. The lead ballooned to 6-3 on three important runs. A walk, single and fielder’s choice set the table with bases loaded nobody out. Camron Pickard walked to drive in one, Brown reached on an error, one of six Regina miscues, to score another and Henry finished with another RBI. Up three, the Golden Hawks went to the pen and Gingerich recorded his first career save. After the game, he joined the KCII postgame show to talk about his night at the plate and on the hill.
Gingerich said, “Basically, it’s just a short simple swing. I’ve been working on keeping my weight back, staying back on the ball and driving it. Staying off my front leg. Our two strike approach is just anything we can do to shorten up and put the ball in play. (When he came on in relief to get his first career save) I was really hyped up. I had a great defense behind me and I knew I could trust them so, it was a really fun experience. II threw a pitch, it was a little outside and the kid swung. We made a great play on it. We got the out at first and I was really pumped up!”
Along with the Gingerich save, Weber recorded the win, working six frames, giving up four hits, three runs, two walks and four punchouts. Connor Nicpon took the loss for Regina, only one of the six runs he surrendered was earned. Henry led the Hawks at the plate with two driven in, Gingerich and Brown each scored twice and had a hit. Mid-Prairie is now 13-6 overall, 9-1 in the RVC, with a Thursday home date against the Regals next.