Baseball splits Tuesday double in Florida

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Mustangs baseball program was looking to keep things going after sweeping Sunday's action in Auburndale. Morningside took game one of the day against St. Thomas and Mount Vernon Nazarene stole a weather shortened game two.

Morningside took a 2-1 lead after three innings against St. Thomas, but didn't have a hit. St. Thomas took the lead 1-0  in the top half of the inning, but after the bases were loaded without a base hit, Morningside scored their first run of the game on a hit by pitch. After a pitching change and a strikeout, Brian Garcia scored on a wild pitch to give Morningside a 2-1 advantage.

St. Thomas tied the game in the fifth inning, but Morningside pushed ahead for good in the eighth. Eddie Brancato pushed a base hit through the left side to drive home three runners and give the Mustangs a 5-2 lead. St. Thomas scored one in the top of the ninth, but Tiago Sanchez struck out the final batter to seal a win.

Brancato had four RBI in the game, three of which came on his big base hit in the eighth. Cade Nolan had two base hits and two runs scored. Garcia scored two runs as well. Josh Pratt pitched the first five frames for Morningside, striking out three. Logan Warkentin earned the win by pitching three and two-thirds innings. Sanchez recorded the final out on the mound.

Mount Vernon Nazarene put up five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and came away with a weather shortened 8-6 win over the Mustangs. The game was called in the top of the eighth inning.

The Cougars scored two in the first inning, but Morningside tied the game at two in the third. Ryan Kiolbassa hit a sacrifice fly to score Jacob O'Dell and Cade Nolan singled home Brancato. Morningside took the lead with a Garcia singled in the fourth. 

The Mustangs added a run on by Nick Grajeda reaching on an error and scoring Aiden Bishop. Trent Lawrence hit a sacrifice fly to score Nolan. Nolan singled to score Bishop in the sixth to make it 6-2 Morningside. 

The Cougars scored five in the sixth to take the lead and added one in the seventh.

Nolan had three hits and two RBI for Morningside. Brancato and Bishop added two hits. Sanchez pitched four innings for Morningside. Mason Rego added five outs on the mound, including three strikeouts. Will Brandner and Joe Harris also pitched in the loss. 

Morningside has three more games in Florida before its home opener March 12 against Mayville State. The Mustangs face Cornerstone and Valley City State Thursday and play Webber International Friday.