Washington pulls out 7th inning baseball win over ranked Mid-Prairie

WASHINGTON — It came down to execution. A failed bunt left a runner exposed. A pinch runner advances on a foul out behind home plate.

Those minor plays contributed to the final outcome as Washington won a nonconference baseball game over Class 2A No. 4 Mid-Prairie Friday.

“When you get down to the later innings and you don’t execute, then you are not going to come out ahead,” Mid-Prairie coach Kyle Mullet said. “If you drop a ball when you need a play or you don’t bunt the guy over then you’re not getting the job done and a loss is going to happen.”

"That’s the game of baseball,“ Washington coach Nathan Miller said. ”You have to be willing to sacrifice your stats for the greater good of the team.“

The state’s leading home run hitter, Aidan Rath walked to start the seventh but was thrown out stealing second when a bunt was not executed. A walk to Vinny Bowlin then would have had two on with one out. A ground out ended the opportunity.

Washington pinch and courtesy runners Austin Rebling and James Strabala “made two huge plays,” Miller said. Strabala advanced on the foul out and “you just don’t see that every day.“ Rebling’s break toward third and score happened because he ”did a great job of reading the ball in the air.“

Jacob Miller reached base three times on a hit, walk and error. “The one that counts against him was his best because he recognized the defense, pounded the ball to the right side to score the game-winning run.”

Collin Miller took the loss after giving up seven hits, three earned runs, two walks, with two strikeouts. Jake Swartzentruber replaced him for the final two outs. Keegan Gingerich went 2-for-4 with a run batted in for the Golden Hawks.

Travis Leyden (six hits, a walk, two hit batters, three earned runs) pitched into the fifth inning before being lifted for Kole Williams (hit, two walks, two strikeouts).

Ethan Patterson had a single and a double, the only extra base hit in the game. Demon teammates Lucas Kroll, Wilx Witthoft and Williams had an RBI each.

"This was good, good learning experience to prepare us for certain situations later in the postseason.,“ Mullet said.