No. 15 Warriors Drop Pair at NAIA SB Tournament

SHAWNEE, Okla. – Facing their toughest competition to date, No. 15 Midland University took the field against No. 5 Oregon Tech and (RV) Missouri Baptist University on the opening day of the NAIA SB Tournament. The Warriors fell to the Owls in extra innings, 2-1, before their game against the Spartans was suspended due to unsafe turf conditions. When play resumed the following day, Missouri Baptist secured a 5-0 victory.

GAME ONE: Oregon Tech 2, Midland 1 (8 innings)

A delayed start due to cold weather set the stage for a rematch between Midland and Oregon Tech, their first meeting since the 2023 NAIA Softball World Series. The Warriors struck first, plating a run in the bottom of the first inning.

Reese Floro led off with a double to left field and later scored when Alexis Shepherd reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. That would be Midland's only run, as the Warriors managed just one more hit for the remainder of the game.

With Paeton Coler in the circle, Midland kept Oregon Tech's offense in check, limiting the Owls to just two hits through six innings.

In the seventh, a leadoff single set up the Owls' comeback. A second single, combined with an error, allowed the tying run to score and moved the potential winning run to third base with no outs. The Warriors responded with two groundouts and a strikeout to send the game into extra innings.

Under the international tiebreaker rule, Oregon Tech started the eighth with a runner on second. A leadoff single advanced the runner to third, and a well-placed bunt single brought in the go-ahead run. Midland escaped further damage but couldn't match the run in the bottom half. A sacrifice bunt moved their runner to third, but back-to-back outs ended the game.

Coler went the distance, tossing 8.0 innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with five strikeouts.

Statistical Standouts

• Paeton Coler: 8.0 IP, 5 K, 2 BB, 2 R (0 ER)
• Reese Floro: 1-for-4, R, 2B

GAME TWO: Missouri Baptist 5, Midland 0

Under the lights at Firelake Ball Fields, the Warriors squared off against a strong Missouri Baptist squad, which entered with a 9-1 record and two wins over top-10 teams (No. 8 Oklahoma City and No. 1 Our Lady of the Lake).

Both pitchers worked efficiently early on, keeping the game scoreless through two innings. Midland's lone hit during that stretch came from Jayci Reimers, who doubled with one out in the second.

In the third, Missouri Baptist broke through. A one-out single and a stolen base set up a two-out RBI triple to center, putting the Spartans on the board. The Warriors escaped further damage but trailed 1-0.

The fourth inning proved pivotal. After Midland went down in order, Missouri Baptist capitalized on back-to-back singles and a double steal, putting runners on second and third with no outs. An error allowed one run to score, and two more RBI singles extended the lead to 3-0. As nighttime moisture made the turf conditions unsafe, the game was suspended until the following afternoon.

When play resumed, both teams showed signs of fatigue from their earlier games. Midland mustered a single in the sixth and a double in the seventh but couldn't push across a run. Missouri Baptist tacked on a sacrifice fly in the fourth and was held to just two hits after the restart.

Campbell Petrick took the loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits over three-plus innings while striking out two. Mackenzie Groninga provided 2.0 innings of relief, giving up one hit and one walk, while Chloe Wagner finished the game with a scoreless inning.

Statistical Standouts

• Kamdyn Barrientos: 1-for-3, 2B
• Jayci Reimers: 1-for-3, 2B