Mustangs continue massive roll, topple Siouxland foes in weekend homestand

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Twenty-five victories in their last 26 games.

A rather remarkable run for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' No. 11-ranked Morningside College team continued Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24, at Jensen Family Softball Complex. Head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann's squad knocked off Dordt University 8-0 and 4-2 Friday and Northwestern College 6-1 and 8-3.

Mside, improving to 39-4 overall and 17-1 in Great Plains Athletic Conference action, continued a familiar theme during the 25-1 stretch. Top-notch pitching and a juggernaut offense kept attempts by the Defenders and Red Raiders to slow the Maroon down.

Sophomore pitching standout Lisa Bolton (SO/American Canyon, CA) (American Canyon, Calif.) continued to be almost untouchable in the circle. She blanked DU on three hits, didn't issue a free pass, and struck out six in Friday's opener. Bolton returned to post the victory in the nightcap with three innings of two-hit ball, which included a strikeout, and then tossed a seven-inning three-hitter in game one versus NWC Saturday, dancing around five walks to move her record to 17-0. Game two against Northwestern belonged to the senior-freshman combination of Alex Nelson (SR/Sioux Falls, SD) (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Mia Barozzo (FR/Santa Paula, Calif.) (Santa Paula, Calif.). Nelson moved to 11-2, working through four frames where she allowed just one run on two hits. Barozzo locked down the win with two innings of one-hit ball, which included one strikeout.

The plate positives were also as numerous. Junior infielder Morgan Nixon (JR/Omaha, NE) (Omaha, Neb.) picked up six hits, featuring a five-hit attack against Northwestern while driving in five to move closer to the program's single-season RBI mark of 68. She climbed to 62 with her weekend effort. Junior outfielder Ellie Cropley (JR/Sioux City, IA) (Sioux City, Iowa) continued a six-game hitting streak, tallying six safeties which included a home run, three RBI, and five runs scored. Junior infielder Bre Tjebben (Fort Dodge, Iowa) upped her current hit skein to seven contests, collecting seven RBI, mashing a double and home run, and scoring four runs. That trio spotlighted an eye-popping 26-run, 36-hit four-game set.

Morningside continues the 2021 loop schedule Tuesday, April 27. They welcome Midland University in a showdown of the conference's top two programs. The first pitch is 3 p.m. at Jensen Family Softball Complex.