SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Midland Explorers made it to today’s single-elimination quarterfinals in the ASA Men’s Major Fastpitch National Championship, despite going 1-2 on Friday.
The Explorers, who won their opener on Thursday, lost their first game Friday 9-0 to top-seeded Broken Bow/Jarvis Travelers in five innings, then lost to The Bar of Appleton 7-4 later in the day before edging the Decatur Pride 1-0 to end the day.
The Explorers managed only three hits in the loss to Broken Bow/Jarvis.
In the Explorers’ second game, Appleton opened up a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but the Explorers fought back with a run in each of the next two innings to get to within 4-2. Craig Crawford capped the comeback with a two-run double in the fifth inning to tie it at 4-4. But Appleton answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead for good.
In the victory over Decatur, Frank Cox pitched all seven innings for the Explorers, giving up only one hit and one walk and striking out 11.
The hit and the walk came in the top of the first inning, as the Pride got runners to the corners with two outs. But Cox got the next batter to ground out, ending the threat.
The only other Pride baserunner came on an error in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the inning, the Explorers got the lone run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Steve Roberts with Steve Horning on third.
The Explorers (2-2) face the Pueblo Bandits (2-2) today at noon in the quarterfinal round.