Grenadiers Fall to Midway 5-4 on Senior Day

NEW ALBANY, Ind. - The IU Southeast baseball team fell to Midway 5-4 on Sunday, a day in which the Grenadiers honored their seniors on Senior Day.

The scoring began in the top of the second. Midway took a 1-0 lead on a double down the left field line, but a second runner was thrown out at the plate. A sacrifice fly gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Neither team scored again until the top of the fourth when a runner on third scored on a groundball double play, extending the Midway lead to 3-0.    

IU Southeast did not score until the bottom of the sixth inning. Alex Yurt singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a flyout. Mason White followed with an RBI groundout to cut the Midway lead to 3-1.

Midway picked up another run in the top of the seventh with an RBI single to center. In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Berenda led off with a walk. Brayden Hazelwood pinch ran and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Blake Cook delivered a one-out RBI single to bring IU Southeast within two at 4-2.

In the top of the eighth, Midway scored a run on a bases loaded walk in which the umpire called a pitch clock violation with a 3-2 count and two outs. The Eagles led 5-2 headed into the bottom of the eighth.

Slater Schield led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to right field. Alex Yurt followed with a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout, Mason White walked to load the bases with one out. Kody Putnam followed with a single to right center, driving in two runs to bring IU Southeast within one at 5-4.

Midway failed to score in the top of the ninth. Blake Cook kicked off the bottom of the ninth for IU Southeast with a single. Garrett Jones advanced pinch runner Brayden Hazelwood to second on a sacrifice bunt.

After Brayden Hazelwood advanced to third on a wild pitch, he tried to score on a groundball to shortstop. The home plate umpire called the runner out at the plate, and the following batter grounded out to give Midway a 5-4 victory in the series finale.

Lane Oesterling started for IU Southeast, throwing 6.2 innings. Conner Fries threw an inning, and Garrett Hill threw the final 1.1 innings for the Grenadiers. Blake Cook led the Grenadiers with two hits, and Kody Putnam drove in a team-high two runs. Mason White doubled in the contest.

The Grenadiers now sit at 27-17 overall and 17-7 in RSC play. IU Southeast returns to action at home on Monday against Cumberland (TN) at 4 p.m.