Golden Hawks catch fire

By TJ Rhodes
Posted 6/7/23

The still number one ranked Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks opened their week with a home doubleheader against the Tipton Tigers.

This was an opportunity for the Hawks to keep the momentum going. …

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Golden Hawks catch fire

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The still number one ranked Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks opened their week with a home doubleheader against the Tipton Tigers.

This was an opportunity for the Hawks to keep the momentum going. Mid-Prairie would win both games, increasing their win streak to five-in-a-row. In game one, the Hawks won 8-6. They won game two 3-1. Head coach Kyle Mullet believes the team likes the doubleheaders on the calendar, this being their first of the season.

“It’s all part of it. We’ll get used to it, I know our guys like it,” Mullet said. “It’s fun playing two games. So, we’d like to think we’re a tough baseball team.”

Senior Cain Brown’s bat came to life in game one, two hits in four at-bats with three RBIs. Each hit a double. Junior Brock Harland brought the heat with five strikeouts in his four innings on the mound, allowing just two runs, both coming in the first frame.

The Hawks, down 2-1 after a full inning, scored four runs in the bottom of the second. It started with an RBI single by junior Joe Hall. Hall has six hits on the season with six RBIs, matching each hit with a run, in perfect harmony. Hall has a .316 batting average and battles each time at the plate to make contact with the ball, only three strikeouts on the season which is the team low with players that have 15 or more at-bats.

After sophomore Blake Swart laid down a sacrifice bunt to get two runners in scoring position, Brown stepped to the plate with two outs, making the most of the situation with a two RBI double.

Determined to keep the inning going, Karson Grout blasted a pitch all the way to the wall, almost out of the park, giving the junior an RBI triple. Now up 5-2, Mid-Prairie would add three more runs, a Collin Miller RBI single in the third and more top-of-the-order shenanigans in the fourth. Brown started the fourth with a double, hustling so hard to second that his helmet flew off in the process.

 A wild pitch advanced Brown to third and an error allowed the senior to score, also allowing Grout to get on first base. An eventual Alex Bean sacrifice fly brought home Grout for the final Hawk run in game one.

At the top of the fifth, Harland came in for his final inning. After loading the bases and allowing two runs, sophomore Conner Wiles came in for his first outing in varsity baseball. A ground out, tag out and lineout finished the inning, seeing one more Tiger cross home plate.

Harland’s time on the mound ended abruptly but while there, his curveball was working wonders. It was getting the Tigers to swing early, late and wild. It was Harland’s go-to in jams.

A pesky sixth inning saw the Tigers score another run, attempting the comeback. Wiles, still on the mound, eventually got the Hawks out of the inning with minimal damage, only allowing one run.

In the seventh, closer Kaden Kos took the mound and did his job, closing the game, giving Harland the win and Kos the save. This gave the teams a brief stint of rest before game two.

“If you could go out there and be perfect and avoid those runs by not letting them get hits or getting rid of those couple errors, might’ve been a different score out there, [but] that’s baseball,” Mullet said. “I still like the way we competed. We hit it, and had timely hitting when we needed to advance runners. So, I know it was close, but it was a good one for us.”

 

Mid-Prairie 3, Tipton 1

 

Don’t let Tipton’s 1-5 record fool you. They played the number one ranked Hawks tough. Both teams scored a run in their first inning at-bats. After this, senior Collin Miller slammed the door shut, pitching six scoreless innings. Miller had 98 pitches and allowed four hits in his first win of the year. He added 12 strikeouts and just two walks in this bout.

Senior Camron Pickard raked the only earned run of the game for the Hawks. Mid-Prairie had just four hits in this game. The win brought the Hawks to 7-2 on the year, five-in-a-row.

 

Mid-Prairie vs. West Branch doubleheader 6/2/23

 

Coming off two wins three days prior, the Hawks were well prepared for the West Branch Bears, already beating them 10-2 earlier this season. Brown again brought the momentum, two hits and two RBIs in game one. Pickard and Miller each added an RBI as well. The Hawks eventually won game one 6-2.

Bean took the mound in this game for five full innings, striking out seven and only allowing two hits, one run.

Sophomore Landry Gingerich took the mound for the final two innings, allowing one unearned run and no hits.

In game two of the doubleheader against the Bears at home, the Hawks shutout the Bears in a 6-0 victory. The win brought their season record to 9-2 and gave them seven straight wins. They are 5-0 against conference foes and still sit atop 2A rankings.

Returning in this doubleheader was sophomore Brady Weber, who saw four and two thirds’ innings on the mound, striking out eight Bears and allowing just one hit. Hall cleaned up the fifth inning with two strikeouts on the mound. Brown finished the game on the mound, striking out four and also only allowing one hit. A combined shutout for the Hawks.

Grout knocked in two RBIs on one hit. Harland and Weber also brought home a runner, seeing two unearned runs.

The Bears drop to 0-8 on the season, three of their losses coming at the Hawk’s talons.

 

Mid-Prairie @ Wilton double header 6/5/23

 

The wins keep on rolling in for the Hawks.

In their doubleheader against the Wilton Beaves, the Hawks won each game with a combined score of 19-2, 8-1 in game one and 11-1 in game two.

Weber’s returned bat was surely appreciated, leading the team in hits in game one with three. Harland pitched seven full innings and did not give up an earned run. He added eight strikeouts to boot.

In game two, Grout was the hero, a perfect batting average in four at-bats, bringing home two runners and scoring twice himself. Collin Miller pitched the complete game allowing just one run with 12 strikeouts.

Mid-Prairie actually had a slow drip of runs in this one, not scoring the bulk of their runs until the sixth and seventh innings, eight in the final two frames.

With these wins, the Hawks now have nine straight wins. They still sit atop of the Iowa High School Baseball Association rankings in 2A as well.