Thursday evening the MMS softball squad hosted the Lady Jackets of Kingston. It was a highly anticipated match-up for Midway fast pitch fans, and many braved the damp and unusually cool weather to watch their team take on its biggest rival.
Despite the customary excellent work by the SOR ground crew, the past week’s weather made the playing surface a bit treacherous from the onset. Perhaps playing conditions factored into the rough opening inning for the Lady Wave defense. Walks, errors and Kingston hits led to the first four Lady Jacket batters crossing the plate in the opening frame. It was a shock for a Midway defense that has been extremely stingy thus far in the season.
Kingston’s momentum carried into the bottom of the first. All three Midway batters were retired in order.
As the second inning progressed, a light rain began to fall over the area. The already moist field began looking sloppier in a short time, and the spectators either found cover or got wet. The Midway defense, however, pulled together and solidified. No Lady Jackets reached base in the second or third innings, and pitcher Raygn Hall struck out two batters in each frame.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that Midway’s first run of the game would cross the plate. That’s when shortstop Alexis Taylor hit a sacrifice grounder to bring home catcher Whitney Colyer.
In the fourth frame, the Lady Jackets padded their lead by bringing two more runners in, and the situation was looking difficult for the Lady Waves.
Midway caught a break, however, when center fielder Rachel Tuttle reached base to lead off the bottom of the inning. Later in the fourth, Tuttle scored when she was driven home by a Colyer single.
Down by four runs and with time running out, the Lady Waves had time for one more inning. The defense did its job in the top of the fifth. Three Kingston batters came to the plate, and all three grounded out.
With two outs and no more runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth, Midway’s Jayde Rose reached base. The next batter for the Lady Waves was Hall, and she stunned the crowd and the Lady Jackets by blasting a monstrous shot over the center field fence! Midway had narrowed the deficit to two runs. The SOR offense would end there however, as the Lady Jackets held on for the win. Final score: Kingston 6, Lady Waves 4.
When asked about the close loss, Midway head coach Chris Borum said, “One inning doesn’t make a game. But, I guess it did today.”
Top hitters in the loss included Raygn Hall (2-2, HR, 2 RBI) and Whitney Colyer (1-2, RBI). Hall threw for six strikeouts from the pitching rubber.
The Lady Waves will be back in action on Tuesday, as they host the Wartburg Lady Bulldogs. Game time is set for 5:30.