Softball blanks Sunday opponents for a 4-1 weekend

GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Mustangs are coming home on a high note, picking up run-rule shortened wins over Southeastern Baptist and William Woods Sunday to complete a five-game GCI Tournament.

Morningside cruised to a 17-0 win over Southeastern Baptist and a 10-0 win over William Woods to complete a 4-1 record over the weekend. Morningside now stands at 9-4 overall with 10 more games before conference season gets going in late March.

The Mustangs put up a crooked number in every inning of the Sunday opener. In the first inning Morgan Nixon hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Ellie Cropley as the game's first run. Mykel Ann Gray added a second run of the inning when she scored on a Kennedee Jones single.

Morningside added three more runs in the second, with Cropley scoring her second run of the game on an error and Jones hitting her second RBI-single in as many innings. 

Cropley continued to cause havoc for the Mustangs in third, tripling home Vanessa Bohuslavsky and scoring on a wild pitch. In the fourth inning, Jones brought home her third runner of the day on an error. Taylor Richter drove in Mackenna Sidzyik and eventually came around to score herself. 

Jones continued her tear in the top of the fifth, recording a double that scored two more for Morningside. Jones scored on a wild pitch and Kennedy Wineland grounded out, but a run scored on the play to make it 15-0. The scoring ended on a Emme Dietrich single to score two more runs.

While the Mustang bats were on fire, the pitching staff was holding the Chargers in check. Maggie Fisher pitched two innings with no runs and Jordan Skradski three innings also allowing no runs. 

While nearly every bat in the lineup did damage, it was Jones' 3-for-4 with five RBI that shined in game one. 

Game two was slightly less exciting than game one, as the Mustangs earned a 10-0 win over William Woods in five innings. Of Morningside's 10 runs, eight of them were scored in the first inning. 

Much like in game one, Nixon's bat got the scoring started, but this time it was a three-run home run. Later in the inning, Richter drove in two more on a single and Cropley did the same thing a few at-bats later. The final run of the opening inning came on a Gray walk where Cropley was able to score due to a wild pitch.

In the second inning, Sidzyik doubled home a run and Richter followed suit with a double of her own to score Sidzyik.

In the circle this time around, it was a trio of Mustangs getting the job done. Grace Buffington tossed two scoreless innings, followed by Bralen Biddlecome doing the same. Jenna Skradski tossed one frame to seal the shutout. 

Morningside hopes to carry the momentum of this weekend into another busy week of action. Morningside is at Friends University Thursday for a doubleheader. After the two games in Wichita, the Mustangs head up the road to McPherson for four games at the McPherson Tournament Friday and Saturday.