Photo Courtesy of Mid-Prairie Softball Social Media
A late push made sure everyone went home happy from Carr, Vincent, Gould Field in Kalona Thursday night as the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk softball team downed the visiting Durant Wildcats 10-6 on Senior Night. Durant scored first, with a single run in the third. They were answered by a Mid-Prairie run in the bottom half when Dakota Mitchell tripled to lead off and came home on a Brenna Jehle run scoring base knock. The Golden Hawks grabbed the lead in the fourth when Madeline Schrader singled with one down and Kadence Grout followed her with a no-doubt two-run homer to give Mid-Prairie a 3-1 lead. Another would go on the board for the Hawks in the fifth when Jehle doubled to start things and Sophie Miller made it two straight two baggers and a 4-1 lead. The advantage would hold until the sixth, when Durant batted all the way through the order, racking up five runs on five hits to wrestle the lead back at 6-4. Down late, Mid-Prairie didn’t wilt, the Hawks went to work in their half of the sixth, sending 11 to the plate and piling up six runs to jump back in front 10-6. Jehle, Miller, Brooklyn Schneider, Schrader, Morgyn Bender and Molly Yoder all came around to score in the inning with Miller driving in two on a double and one RBI each for Sydney Knebel, Hannah Sellers, and Grout. Mid-Prairie’s pitching and defense shut down Durant in the seventh to secure the win. Following the contest, Mid-Prairie seniors Madeline Schrader and Molly Yoder, who were honored on the diamond pregame, with a Senior Night ceremony, joined the KCII postgame show live to talk about the experience and the win.
Yoder said, “It’s pretty special seeing everyone that came out. Our momentum is something that we talk about a lot and the energy that comes from the entire team during those big innings.”
Schrader added, “Coming here as an eighth grader and seeing the Seniors every year be out there, and now have it be me out there, it’s just a really cool experience. We required a lot of focus at the plate tonight. We needed everyone to contribute. Every time you went up to the plate you had a job to do. We executed tonight in pressure situations. It was amazing to come out here and win on Senior Night. To battle through the entire game and win is just a great feeling.”
The Hawks out hit the ‘Cats 14-8. Seven of the nine in the Mid-Prairie order scored a run, six of the nine had a hit. Miller and Grout each drove in three on a combined five hits. Jehle, Knebel and Sellers had an RBI. Knebel collected the win in the circle, working seven innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, walking two and striking out three. The victory gives the Golden Hawks the three game season sweep of the Wildcats and a 15-17 overall record. Durant drops to 10-23. Mid-Prairie is back in action Friday and Saturday at the Rick Doran Tournament hosted by Iowa City West at Pearl Field, home of the Iowa Hawkeyes.