SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The Mustangs got the GPAC Tournament started with a split of their two games Wednesday afternoon at the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center.
The Mustangs defeated Concordia 3-1 in their first game of the day, but fell to the top-seeded Northwestern Red Raiders by the same score in the second game of the day.
In game one, the Mustangs needed an extra inning, but pulled out the victory. Concordia scratched a run across in the second inning, but a Kennedy Wineland RBI-double in the sixth tied the game at one. After neither side scored in the seventh, the game went to extra innings. Kennedee Jones broke the tie with an RBI-double, and Morgan Secora followed suit with a double of her own to bring in Ali Fletcher, courtesy running for Jones. Secora continued her dominant game in the circle with a shutout eighth inning to earn the win. Secora needed just 87 pitches to get through eight innings, striking out two and allowing one unearned run.
Wineland and Mackenzi Harrel tallied two hits apiece in game one. Morningside recorded four doubles in the game, one by Wineland, Harrel, Jones, and Secora.
The Mustangs were in for a battle against the top-seeded Red Raiders in their second game of the tournament, and after five innings the game was tied at one. After the Red Raiders scored one in the bottom of the fourth, Emma Barwick doubled home a runner to tie things back up.
This time, it was the home team on the scoreboard, Northwestern, who scored the late runs, bringing in two in the bottom of the sixth to win.
Outside of Barwick’s double, Wineland and Jones had base hits for the Mustangs. Secora pitched another complete game, this time going six innings, striking out two and allowing three runs, two of which were earned.
The Mustangs are back in action in an elimination game against Mount Marty at 10 a.m. in the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center. If the Mustangs win, they will face Northwestern in the pod championship, where they would need two wins to advance to the GPAC Championship Series Saturday.
