Morningside sweeps Sunday double

AUBURNDALE, Ala. – After splitting a pair of games Saturday, the Mustangs earned a big doubleheader sweep against Lawrence Tech and Roosevelt Sunday in Auburndale, Florida.

The Mustangs got things started early Sunday morning against Lawrence Tech, falling behind 1-0 after two innings, but put up a four spot in the top of the third to take a 4-1 lead. Jacob O'Dell singled to drive in two runs. Eddie Brancato doubled home O'Dell and scored on an Aiden Bishop single. Lawrence Tech responded with two in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3 after three.

The Mustangs added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh as Giacomo Crosetti singled home two in the sixth and Kiolbassa put a ball in play, allowing O'Dell to score again. 

Bishop and Brian Garcia tallied two hits each. O'Dell had two RBI in the win. Cade Nolan struck out four over six innings in the win. Logan Warkentin pitched a clean seventh inning. 

The Mustangs played a shortened game two, defeating Roosevelt 9-3 in eight innings. After the Lakers scored three in the first, Morningside scored nine unanswered to win. Jayson Willers scored home O'Dell, Brancato scored later in the inning, and Luke Froehlich doubled home a run to make it 3-3 after one. 

Brancato hit a sacrifice fly to break the tie in the second. Ryan Kiolbassa hit a sacrifice fly to score Brancato in the fifth and Garcia scored on a passed ball in the sixth. Morningside put the game out of reach with three runs in the seventh, scoring on base hits by Ryan Kiolbassa, Crosetti, and Garcia.

Willers had two hits in game two. Kiolbassa added two hits and two RBI. Bishop pitched six innings, striking out six in the win. Tiago Sanchez pitched two clean innings. The game was called in the middle of the eighth inning due to weather. 

Morningside remains in the southeast, facing St. Thomas and Mount Vernon Nazarene Tuesday in Auburndale.