After making a successful run during the Region 14C amateur baseball tournament, the Midway Snurdbirds were looking to make a long run in the state Class C tournament.
The Snurdbirds used a runner-up finish at the Region 14C tournament to qualify for state for the 21st time. Midway had plenty of scoring chances to advance to the second round of the state tournament, but left too many men on base as Lake Henry ended the Snurdbirds’ season with a 3-1 victory at Springfield on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Lake Henry took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on Nick Dingmann’s RBI single and Grant Ludwig’s two-run single.
Stetson Burkman scored on Zach Etter’s RBI double to make it 3-1 in the fourth. The Snurdbirds mounted a rally in the ninth by loading the bases with two outs, but the Lakers’ Ethan Vogt coaxed a grounder to end the game.
Etter (2 for 5, including a pair of doubles), Lund (2 for 2) and Cory Odland (2 for 4) led Midway’s 10-hit attack. Preston Riewer (1 for 4), Sam Beck (1 for 4), Ray Mueller (1 for 4) and Burkman (1 for 2) had the Snurdbirds’ other hits.
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Four Midway pitchers combined to allow 11 hits and two walks while striking out 16 batters. Burkman started and took the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three in 2.1 innings. New York Mills draftee Austin Maneval pitched the next 3.0 innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out five. Lund pitched 2.2 innings and gave up three hits with six strikeouts before Etter allowed one hit and struck out two in the ninth.
Midway ended the season with an 11-8 record.
Leading the Snurdbirds offensively this season were Etter (.393 average, 14 runs, nine RBI, five stolen bases), Beck (.333 average, seven runs, 12 RBI), Lund (.304 average, three runs, four RBI), Chris Baso (.288 average, 10 runs, 15 RBI), Steve Wetterling (.273 average), Riewer (.271 average, 18 runs, five RBI), Drew Rasmussen (.254 average, nine runs, seven RBI), Brett Dormanen (.229 average, nine runs, four RBI), Burkman (.203 average, eight runs), Odland (.196 average, five runs) and Mueller (.169 average, three home runs, 11 runs, eight RBI).
Burkman (5-3, 2.31 ERA, 57 strikeouts) and Dormanen (3-1, 2.70 ERA) led the way on the mound with Lund (2-0, two saves, 0.44 ERA, 32 strikeouts), Pete Marjamaa (1-0, one save, 0.00 ERA), Ike Kyllonen (0-0, 6.35 ERA), Etter (0-2, 5.40 ERA, 24 strikeouts) and Odland (0-2, 6.75 ERA) also playing key roles.
