#4 Midway hangs on for victory over #2 IU Southeast at #RSCBASEBALL Tournament

5/8/2017 12:00:00 AM

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- No. 4 Midway (Ky.) University built a big lead over No. 2 IU Southeast and then held off the Grenadiers on two different occasions for a 16-11 victory at the River States Conference Baseball Tournament on Sunday night. The Eagles are now the lone remaining unbeaten team in the tournament that has five teams left at VA Memorial Stadium. Midway will play Monday at 7 p.m. while IU Southeast will face elimination Monday at 11 a.m. versus Point Park.

Midway built leads of 12-3 and 16-9 but ended up having things get tight in the later innings. Midway once again had a good offensive showing putting up 16 runs on 15 hits. The Eagles were holding on to a 4-3 lead through three and half innings, but they mounted four runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to build the big advantage of 12-3.

Hector Quinones was 3 for 5 with a two-run homer and a double for Midway. Matthew Olson was 4 for 6 with three runs and three RBIs. Barrett Croslin went 2 for 4 with an RBI triple and also scored four times. Danny Maguire drove in three runs for the Eagles.

Midway starter Chase Heslep pitched six innings giving up seven hits. Three of the seven runs he gave up were earned. Trailing 12-3, IU Southeast put together six runs in the seventh to cut the lead to 12-9. There were three hits and four walks in the inning and three of the walks came with the bases loaded to force in runs. Richard Rodriguez capped off the inning with a two-run single to make it 12-9.

But Midway responded with four more in the home half of the seventh to build the lead back up to 16-9. Maguire knocked in two with a single to highlight the inning.

IU Southeast again did not go quietly. The Grenadiers scored two in the ninth, and Midway had to bring in closer Jake McCoy in the middle of the inning to close things out.

Midway ended up using five pitchers with four arms coming on in relief of Heslep. IU Southeast used seven pitchers with starter John Cecil and reliever Alex Schoettmer tying for the team lead with 2.0 innings pitched.

Midway, now 2-0 in the tournament, will sit out until Monday at 7 p.m. and await the winner of No. 2 IU Southeast versus No. 1 Point Park at 11 a.m.. There are five teams left in the bracket with four of them 1-1 and Midway the lone unbeaten. IU Southeast needs to win twice on Monday to get to Tuesday's championship round while Midway needs just one victory to get there.

Follow the RSC Baseball Tournament at RiverStatesConference.com and on Twitter @RiverStatesConf hashtag #RSCBASEBALL.