Mustangs take 3-out-of-4 in penultimate series

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Winning the season's penultimate series was the goal as Morningside returned to Sioux City's west side for the final two games of the four-game baseball series with Briar Cliff. The Mustangs accomplished their goal, courtesy of a pair come-from-behind wins, 8-5 and 6-4.

Morningside tacked on a six-run fifth inning in game one today, with Eddie Brancato, Aidan Agosta, Jayson Willers, Ryan Kiolbassa, and Nick Grajeda all coming across to score in the frame as Willers, Kiolbassa, Calabrese, and Brian Garcia all put the ball in play. 

Willers was the only Mustang with two hits in the contest, while Calabrese and Garcia each drove in a pair of runs. 

Josh Pratt had a solid relief outing, throwing four scoreless innings for the win as he gave up just two hits and struck out four batters.

The fourth inning was key for Morningside in game two, as Calabrese, Carter Ades, and Garcia scored on hits by Ades and Willers to give the Mustangs the lead. Brancato and Garcia had three-hit games, while Kiolbassa had a pair of hits. Willers led the team with two RBIs. 

Aiden Bishop gave up a pair of runs while striking out five batters in 4.0 innings of work. Josh Thurman worked 1.2 innings, giving up a pair of runs as he struck out three, and Logan Warkentin got a 1.1 inning save, shutting down a BCU threat in the sixth inning and holding it scoreless in the seventh.

Morningside heads to Concordia University in Seward, Neb. for a Friday-Saturday four-game series that will pit the no. 2 and no. 3 teams in the Great Plains Athletic Conference against one another.