It took a near no-hitter to hand Midway its first loss in Lake and Pine League amateur baseball play this summer.
Jalen Busker's two-hit, 12-strikeout effort led Staples to a 2-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader last Sunday afternoon at Menahga.
Midway rebounded with a 10-3 win in the second game to improve to 12-1 in league games.
In the opener, Busker kept the Snurdbirds scoreless until Zach Etter's solo home run in the eighth inning ended the scoring. Chris Baso's single was the only other hit for Midway.
Stetson Burkman matched Busker by allowing one run on three hits over seven innings. Zach Etter gave up one run on three hits over the final two innings.
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Midway jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second game to salvage the split.
After Staples cut the gap to 5-3 in the fourth, a five-run seventh inning sealed the win as the Snurdbirds improved to 15-3 this season.
Bobby Lusti went 2 for 4 with a run and RBI, Isaac Anderson went 2 for 3 with a run and RBI, Cory Odland went 2 for 5 with a run, and Frank Moren went 2 for 5 with two runs to lead Midway's 12-hit attack. Pete Marjamaa went 1 for 3 with a run and three RBI while Jake Lund hit a solo home run. Etter (1 for 4 with a run and RBI), Robert Weaver (one RBI), Ray Mueller (1 for 3 with a run) and Burkman (one run) completed Midway's offensive attack.
Lusti earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts over the first seven innings. Odland gave up one hit and struck out two over the final two innings.
Midway concludes the regular season by hosting Nimrod Sunday afternoon at 1:30.
