No. 18 IU Southeast Wins Fourth-Straight RSC Regular Season Title With Sweep of Midway

MIDWAY, Ky. – The No. 18-ranked IU Southeast baseball team claimed its fourth-straight River States Conference regular season championship with a doubleheader sweep of Midway 3-2 and 8-7 on Thursday.

In game one, Midway took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. An RBI single by Josh Halterman opened the scoring and Cameron Smith doubled the lead when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

In the third, Marco Romero cut the lead in half when he singled to right to drive in Daunte DeCello, who had singled and moved to third on Brody Tanksley's double.

IU Southeast (34-13, 18-4 RSC) took the lead for good in the fourth inning. Derek Wagner, Ben Berenda and Brandon Boxer loaded the bases with consecutive singles. Trevor MacDonald provided the go-ahead hit with another single that drove in Berenda and Wagner.

IU Southeast threatened again in the eighth when Romero hit a one-out double down the left-field line and moved to third on a wild pitch but a 3-6-3 double play ended the inning.

Garrett Hill settled down after the first inning and allowed just the two runs on four hits in three innings. He walked one and struck out five. Cade Reynolds got the win in relief working three scoreless innings and allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four.

Zach Gutermuth and Brenden Bube worked an inning each and allowed just one hit and one walk combined. Gavin Knust earned the save in a scoreless ninth.

Marco Romero was 3-for-4 with a RBI and Brody Tanksley and Brandon Boxer each had two hits in the win.

In game two, Derek Wagner opened the scoring with a single to center which drove in Trevor Campbell in the top of the first.

IU Southeast blew the game open with six-run third inning. Derek Wagner hit a two-run home run to left to extend the lead to 3-0.

Daunte DeCello reached base on a fielder's choice which drove in Ben Berenda. Clay Woeste drove in a pair with a double down the left-field line, driving in DeCello and Boxer. Trevor Campbell capped off the rally with a RBI single that scored Woeste.

A three-run bottom of the inning got the Eagles back to within four at 7-3.

After the Eagles cut the deficit to 7-4 in the fifth, an RBI groundout by Romero extended the lead back to four in the sixth inning.

After a sacrifice fly and a RBI single cut the lead to two, a throwing error allowed a runner to score on a fielder's choice and the tying run to reach.

Conner Burnett was able to slam the door and secure the save with a groundout back to the mound to clinch the championship for the Grenadiers.

Hunter Kloke worked five innings and allowed four runs, three earned on six hits. He walked a batter and struck out seven.

Trevor Campbell had three hits and scored twice and Derek Wagner had two hits and drove in three. Ben Berenda had two hits and scored a run.

IU Southeast concludes the regular season Friday at noon. IU Southeast will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming RSC baseball tournament which begins Thursday, May 5 in Chillicothe, Ohio.