Mustangs pick up a pair of conference wins

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In a rescheduled doubleheader with Doane, the Morningside softball team wins its fifth and sixth straight games Tuesday afternoon.

The Mustangs defeated the Tigers 2-1 in 10 innings in game one and 5-1 in game two.

The Mustangs struck first in the bottom of the first of game one. Kennedee Jones hit a sacrifice fly to score Ellie Cropley to make it 1-0. Morningside's bats were held in check from there on. 

Doane evened the score on a single in the fourth to make it 1-1.

Neither side could take the advantage in the scheduled seven innings, sending the opener to extra innings. Taylor Richter started the tenth inning on second base, and moved over with a bunt from Vanessa Bohuslavsky. With Mykel Ann Gray at the plate, she offered at a pitch outside that got past the catcher. Richter sprinted home on the play and scored the winning run.

Grace Buffington, who pitched two innings in Monday's doubleheader against Dakota State, went 10 innings, allowing one run and striking out two batters. Buffington earned the win. 

In game two, Doane struck first with a run in the top of the second, but two Mustang runs were scored on a Bohuslavsky triple in the bottom half of the inning. 

The Mustangs added a run in the bottom of the sixth when Ellie Gengler forced the pitcher into a tough decision on a bunt, allowing Liz Hammer to score. Bohuslavsky brought home two more runs on a bunt that forced an error and the Mustangs led 5-1 after six.

The middle of the Mustang order collected a majority of the hits, with Sydney Petersen and Mackenna Sidzyik tallied two hits each. 

In the circle, Bralen Biddlecome pitched the complete game, striking out three and allowing three hits over seven innings.

The Mustangs are back in action Friday at Mount Marty.