Mustangs pick up a pair of conference victories Saturday

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The bats were on fire Saturday afternoon for the first games of the 2023 season at Jensen Softball Complex. The Mustangs defeated Dakota Wesleyan 8-3 in game one and 7-0 in game two.

Morningside's offense had eight different players cross home plate in game one, and Mackenna Sidzyik was the only player with two hits in the game, both of which were doubles. 

Morgan Nixon extended her school record for RBI in the first inning with a two-run single. Ellie Cropley, who set the school record for runs scored, added another run to that total in the third inning, scoring on a Kennedee Jones double.

Mykel Ann Gray drove in Sidzyik in the fourth inning, giving the Mustangs a 4-3 lead. The Mustangs scored four runs in the fifth, starting with a RBI-single by Ellie Gengler. Taylor Richter doubled to bring in a run and Richter and Gengler scored on a wild pitch.

Grace Buffington tossed a complete game for Morningside. The win was her 10th of the year and she struck out six in the game.

McKinnely Mull of Dakota Wesleyan did all of the offensive damage for the Tigers. She hit two home runs to account for all three RBI. Mull hit a solo home run in the first and a two-run shot in the third.

Bralen Biddlecome was strong in the circle in game two for the Mustangs. She pitched the complete game shutout, striking out six and allowing six hits. 

Offensively, Sydney Petersen hit a sacrifice fly to score Cropley to get the Mustangs on the board in the first. Petersen was, again, on the hitting end of a score in the third when she drove in Gray and Vanessa Bohuslavsky. Gray singled home a run in the fifth. 

In the sixth, Richter doubled home a runner and Katie Murphy had a pinch hit, two-run double to cap the scoring.

The Mustangs sit in sole possession of fourth place in the conference at 6-2 and are 20-8 overall. Morningside is back in non-conference action Monday against Dakota State at Jensen Softball Complex.