Mustangs earn No. 2 seed in GPAC Tournament with split at Jamestown

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – The Mustangs secured the No. 2 seed in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament with a split of a doubleheader at Jamestown Saturday afternoon.

The Mustangs took game one 6-4 before being walked-off 7-6 in game two. Midland and Dordt swept their doubleheaders Saturday, forcing a three-way tie that went in the favor of Morningside thanks to Morningside's sweep of Dordt earlier this season.

In game one, Mackenna Sidzyik's two-run home run put the Mustangs ahead 2-0 in the second inning, and they never looked back. Katie Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run and Morgan Nixon stole home on a double steal to make it 4-0 after four.

The Jimmies made things interesting by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Morningside responded with an RBI-double from Kennedee Jones and an RBI-single from Ellie Gengler. 

Grace Buffington tossed the complete game, striking out three in the win.

Jamestown took a 2-0 lead through three innings in game two, but an Ellie Cropley two-run homer, followed by a two-run blast from Nixon two at-bats later and Morningside had a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth. Jamestown added two more in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-4.

Two Mustang runs scored on a Sydney Petersen single in the top of the seventh, but the Jimmies brought in three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take game two.

Mykel Ann Gray had three base hits, including a double, in game two. Cropley and Nixon added two hits each. Petersen had three hits as well.

The Mustangs are the No. 2 seed in the GPAC Tournament, meaning that Morningside's half of the conference tournament is at Jensen Softball Complex. The Mustangs will get the Hastings Broncos in the first round of the double-elimination pod. Midland and Jamestown are the other two teams competing Wednesday and Thursday in Sioux City.