In a nonconference baseball match up Friday night, Mid-Prairie bested Highland 7-1. Amid some early raindrops, both offenses got off to a slow start. Highland took an early 1-0 lead when Ben Bean doubled to lead off the second and back to back bunts from Colin Sexton and Josh Brase got him over, and got him in. Mid-Prairie answered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Spencer Shalla drew a lead off walk and scored on the RBI single by Karson Gingerich. Shalla scored the Golden Hawks second run, this time in the fourth inning when he came home on a passed ball.

Leading 2-1 Mid-Prairie was able to get some breathing room in the fifth when all nine Golden Hawks saw the plate in an inning where they scored three runs on RBI from Gingerich and Braeden Nielsen. In the inning the Highland bullpen had a hard time finding the strike zone issuing three walks and hitting three batters. The Golden Hawks would add two more in the sixth on the third Gingerich RBI hit of the night, this time a two run triple which was more than enough for Mid-Prairie pitchers Seth Eash and Spencer Shalla who combined on the four hit, one run performance.

Eash recorded the win, his second of the season, allowing two hits one run and striking out four. At the plate Mid-Prairie was led by the 8th grader Gingerich who was a homer shy of the cycle and drove in four. Following the game Head Coach Ryan Koller talked about his starter and left fielder.

“The key to him is he throws strikes. I think the ratio for him, balls/strikes, is probably 75 percent strikes and that’s the key, he throws strikes and keeps people off balance, again he’s been phenomenal this year” Koller said. “To be able to put in a eighth grader who is really leading the team in hitting, and leading the team in RBI’s, and made some great plays in the field. I haven’t seen a eighth grader like this in a long time.”

Highland was led by Ben Bean who was one for three with a run scored. Jacob Michael took the loss in relief for the Huskies. Mid-Prairie is now 2-1 on the season and will take on Iowa City Regina Monday. Highland will be at WACO Monday.