A four-run inning by Durant had Mid-Prairie trailing for the first time all year — in the fourth game of the season on Tuesday. 

The Wildcats took advantage of two walks, an error, and a few passed balls to go up 4-2 in the fifth inning of the first game of a doubleheader in Wellman on Tuesday. 

But that deficit was short lived as Mid-Prairie got a run back in the fifth, and then took the lead back for good with Aidan Rath’s two-run homer. 

Rath homered twice and drove in five runs as No. 4 Mid-Prairie split the double header with No. 7 Durant, with a 5-4 win and a 12-9 loss. 

Karson Grout singled to put the tying run on base in the sixth inning of game one. He made it to third base with one out for Rath. 

“I was really just waiting on a fastball, I just threw it,” Rath said. 

In his first two at bats, deep fly balls landed in gloves in right and center field. When he drove it deep a third time, no one was catching it. 

“He's a threat every time he gets in the box,” said Mid-Prairie coach Kyle Mullet, who liked the way his team responded to a large deficit in the second game as well. 

“Just them staying calm and collected, just sticking with what we’re doing and always competing,” he said. “Competing every pitch, competing in every at bat — you just never know what can happen.” 

Rath made the start in game one and struck out eight of the first 14 batters he faced. The Wildcats scored four unearned runs on three walks and struck out nine times in five innings against Rath. 

Cain Brown allowed Durant’s only hit of the game, a leadoff double in the sixth, but he stranded the runner at third to protect the one-run lead. Karson Grout walked a batter, but allowed no hits over two innings of work. 

Brown had Mid-Prairie’s first hit of the game, a two-out single in the third inning. Kayden Reinier reached on an error and a balk moved both runners into scoring position. Grout put the ball in play and reached on an error by the second baseman, bringing in both runners. The score remained 2-0 until the fifth. 

In game number two, Mid-Prairie brought the tying run to the plate after trailing by eight runs in the seventh inning, but couldn’t overcome a pair of five-run innings from Durant in a 12-9 loss. 

The Wildcats put up five runs on three hits in the third inning to take a 7-0 lead. The Golden Hawks cut the lead to three, but Durant scored five more in the sixth to go up 12-4. 

Mid-Prairie was down to its last out when Rath hit a three-run shot. Vinnie Bowlin tripled, followed by singles from Keegan Gingerich and Will Cavanagh, which brought the tying run to the plate. A groundout back to the pitcher ended the threat. 

Grout and Cavanagh were each 2 for 3 at the plate with two RBIs. Bowlin was 2 for 3 as well and scored twice. 

The Golden Hawks outhit the Wildcats 18-11 over two games, but walked 10 total batters. 

Mid-Prairie had two errors in the first game and three more in the second. 

“We didn't play the best, but we still split with a very good team,” Mullet said. So next go round, when we hit postseason and see these guys again or whatever, we'll be prepared.”