Morningside splits twinbill with Red Raiders

ORANGE CITY, Iowa — The Morningside University baseball team got back in the win column with a 6-1 victory during Friday night's conference doubleheader against Northwestern.

The win came in Game 1, and Michael Delzell set the tone with a two-run home run during the first inning that gave the Mustangs the lead they held throughout the opener. Sam Wilt also drove in a run with a double that scored Jacob O'Dell.

Morningside (23-11-1, 10-8 GPAC) doubled its score in the sixth with three more runs. During the sixth inning, Giacomo Crosetti and Ryan Kiolbassa both had RBI singles, while Nathan Thomas secured a run with a sacrifice fly.

Kiolbassa had a three-hit game, while Michael Snyder had two hits. Connor Woods also stole a base in the win.  

Cade Nolan went the distance to earn his sixth win of the season. He held the Red Raiders to one run on one hit. He struck out four, and allowed four walks. Nolan threw 92 pitches, and 70 were strikes,

Morningside scored early in Game 2, too, also off a home run. O'Dell sent a ball over the wall that put the Mustangs up 3-0, but the Red Raiders scored seven consecutive runs en route to a 7-5 Mustangs loss.

Snyder earned an RBI single during the seventh inning.

The Mustangs sent two men on in the ninth inning, but Northwestern held them scoreless to force the GPAC split. Seven different men earned a hit in the nightcap, with Kiolbassa leading the Mustangs with two.