Mustangs fall to Concordia in bracket championship

SEWARD, NEB. – With a trip to the Great Plains Athletic Conference Baseball Championship on the line, the Mustangs ran up against the bracket's host and top seed, Concordia. Morningside had fared well enough against the Bulldogs in the regular season, splitting a four-game series to conclude the campaign, but came up short in the bracket championship, losing 16-3. 

The Mustangs started the game on the right foot, with Jayson Willers singling to left field with two outs. Elijah Rude laced a single to left centerfield, allowing courtesy runner Zach Hefty to advance to third. Ryan Kiolbassa sent a single up the middle, driving in Hefty and advancing Rude, before a fly ball ended the half inning. Josh Pratt put up a 0 in the bottom of the inning, facing four batters.

Morningside had a short half inning in the second, sitting down in order before the explosive Concordia offense struck, chasing Pratt from the mound and hanging six runs on the scoreboard. 

The Mustangs added an Elijah Rude solo homer in the top of the fourth, which Willers matched in the sixth, while Concordia added crooked numbers in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings.

Morningside, 36-16 and 20-8 in the GPAC, awaits word if it will receive an at-large bid to the 46-team National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Baseball National Championship Opening Round, which is played May 15-18. Qualifying teams will be announced on May 11 at 4 p.m.