Amateur Baseball: Lake & Pine North Playoffs: Midway survives seven errors to down Wolf Lake 12-11 in 11 innings

Baseball geeks, may I introduce you to the Midway Snurdbirds?

The baseball pundits would argue that any team that commits seven errors during a game usually ends up on the short end of the scoreboard.

Not only the top-seeded ‘Birds refuse to follow the so-called baseball bible, they laughed and shook off the blunders to score a 12-11 extra inning victory over rival Wolf Lake on Sunday. The win advances Midway to next weeks championship game, while the Wolf Pack needs to win an elimination game to secure a berth in the Region 16C tournament.

Kasey Tyge of Wolf Lake earned the rare distinction of being both the hero and the goat in the same contest. Tyge belted a two-run homer to highlight a four-run third inning outburst that put Wolf Lake up 6-3. However, with the Wolf Pack nursing a 11-10 lead in the 11th inning, Tyge surrendered a one-out triple to Midway’s Shane Hendrickson and then issued four consecutive walks to allow the ‘Birds to escape with the wild 12-11 victory.

Hendrickson would end up frustrating the Wolf Lake pitching staff during the game, going 5-for-7 with a double and a triple. He also scored five runs and had a ribbie. Jake Lund went 3-for-6 with three RBIs on the afternoon and ripped a two-run double in the seventh to put Midway ahead 10-9.

Wolf Lake tied the game up in the eighth when Corey Pudas reached on an error and later scored on Craig Pudas’ sacrifice fly to left. The Pack went ahead in the top of the 11th when Derek Pihlaja led off the frame with a single and was sacrificed over to second on a bunt from Tyge. After the next batter struck out, Cody Schrimer doubled to delivered the go-ahead run.

Wolf Lake couldn’t hold the lead, as the Snurdbirds answered in the home half of the extra frame to secure the victory. After Hendrickson tripled with one out, Zach Etter walked and Lund was intentionally walked to load the bases. Another walk to Steve Wetterling drove in the tying run and Robert Weaver walked to plate the game-winning run.

The loss spoiled a big day at the plate for the Wolf Packs Kent Luekuma, who notched five hits, scored three runs and drove in a run. Midway also got three hits from Weaver (2RBI), while Wetterling (3RBI) and Brandon Mickleson added two hits apiece.

Etter secured the win on the hill in relief of Hendrickson. He gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits, walked none and struck out five.

On Saturday, Midway will host the winner of the 1:30 p.m. Huntersville/Wolf Lake contest at 4 p.m. to determine the outright Lake & Pine North champion.

Lake & Pine North Playoffs
No. 2 Wolf Lake at No. 1 Midway on July 24
Snurdbirds 12, Wolf Pack 11 (11 innings)
Wolf Lake 2 0 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 1—11 14 2
Midway 2 1 0 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 2—12 16 7
WP: Zach Etter (Midway) 5IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 5K
LP: Kasey Tyge (Wolf Lake) 6IP, 8H, 7R, 5ER, 6BB, 6K
Wolf Lake—Dylan Walsh 2-5, 2R, 2B; Kent Luekuma 5-6, 3R, RBI; Craig Pudas 1-4, 2RBI; Derek Pihlaja 2-5, 2R, RBI; Tyge 1-5, R, HR, 2RBI; Cody Schirmer 2-4, 2B, RBI; Ben Skoog 1-5
Midway—Shane Hendrickson 5-7, 5R, 2B, 3B, RBI; Etter 1-5, 2R, RBI; Jake Lund 3-6, R, 2B, 3RBI; Steve Wetterling 2-6, 3RBI; Robert Weaver 3-5, 2B, 2RBI; Brandon Mickelson 2-6, R; Mike Baso 0-3, R, RBI