Amateur Baseball: Region 16C: Etter helps Midway stay alive with win over Wolf Lake

Zach Etter energized Midway with a solid five inning effort on the hill and then backed it up at the plate by going 4-for-5 with a double and home run as the Snurdbirds eliminated Lake & Pine North rival Wolf Lake 9-3 on Sunday.

The Snurdbird erupted for 15 hits—including three dingers—and got a one-hitter from Derek Dormanen, who picked up the save in four innings of relief.

It was the Wolf Pack that struck first with two runs in the top of the second inning. Derek Pihlaja led off the frame with a walk and steal and Craig Pudas followed with a bunt single and also stole second. Brandon Roiko grounded ot to second, but knocked in Pihlaja and Danny Pike laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate the second run.

Midway answered with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the second and third stanzas to tie the game at 2-2. Steve Wetterling hit a lead off homer and Etter launched a solo shot past the left field fence off Wolf Lake starter Kasey Tyge.

Wolf Lake briefly retook the lead in the top of the fifth on Dylan Walsh’s RBI single but Midway answered in the bottom half of the frame to reclaim the lead for good. Brandon Mickelson highlighted the ‘Birds three-run effort with a two-run single and Robert Weaver added another run with his single to right field.

Jake Lund registered the third Midway homer of the game with his one-out solo shot to left center in the bottom of the seventh and the Snurdbirds posted a crooked number in the eighth to cap the scoring. Etter highlighted the frame with a RBI single and scored on a wild pitch. Shane Hendrickson also knocked in a run with a grounder.

Etter secured the mound win by striking out eight, walking two and giving up three hits. He surrendered three runs (two earned) in five strong innings for the ‘Birds before turning over the pitching duties to Derek Dormanen, who struck out five and gave up one hit in four scoreless innings for the save.

Weaver went 3-for-5 with a ribbie while Hendrickson (RBI), Wetterling (2R, HR, RBI) and Derek Dormanen (2B) collected two hits apiece.

Tyge struck out five in seven innings, but surrendered eight earned runs on 13 hits to be tagged with the season-ending loss for the Wolf Pack. He also had one of the Wolf Lake hits along with Walsh, Kent Leukuma and Corey Pudas.

Midway faces Vergas at 8 p.m. Friday in Perham during a rematch of the Region 16C opener, which was won 10-1 by the Snurdbirds. The winner advances to the semifinal game with Pelican Rapids at 5 p.m. Saturday, also in Perham.

Region 16C Playoffs
Midway vs. Wolf Lake (at Perham) on August 7
Snurdbirds 9, Wolf Pack 3
Wolf Lake 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0—3 4 1
Midway 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 3 x—9 15 0
WP: Zach Etter (Midway) 5IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 8K
LP: Kasey Tyge (Wolf Lake) 7IP, 13H, 8R, 8ER, 3BB, 5K
Save: Derek Dormanen (Midway) 4IP, 1H 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 5K
Wolf Lake—Dylan Walsh 1-4, RBI; Kent Leukuma 1-4; Tyge 1-4; Craig Pudas 1-4, R; Brandon Roiko 0-3, RBI; Danny Pike 0-0, RBI
Midway—Shane Hendrickson 2-5, RBI; Etter 4-5, 3R, 2B, HR, 2RBI; Jake Lund 1-4, R, HR, RBI; Steve Wetterling 2-4, 2R, HR, RBI; Robert Weaver 3-5, RBI; Brandon Mickelson 1-4, 2RBI; Derek Dormanen 2-3, 2B

BOXSCORE & GAME SUMMARY (Courtesy of Ron Berns)