Blackmon drives in late run to force split vs. Warner

LAKE WALES, Fla. — Luke Blackmon drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning Friday as the Morningside baseball team split with Warner to close out a four-game series. The Mustangs won three of the four contests against the Royals.

Blackmon put the Mustangs ahead 6-5 in the sixth on a fielder's choice that scored Mason King. Nathan Thomas added an insurance run later in the inning with an RBI single as Morningside took a 7-5 lead that held as the final.

The Mustangs scored in each of the first three innings, plating two runs in both the second and third frames. In the second inning, Hayden Hixon delivered an RBI double and later scored on a fielding error.

During the third, Delzell added an RBI single, while Conner Maston scored the second run on a double steal.

Mason Rego earned the win in relief, pitching five innings and allowing one run on five hits while striking out four. Sam Hanson worked a scoreless seventh inning for the save, while Maston also tossed an inning.

In Game 2, Morningside fell 3-2 to the Royals. The Mustangs opened the scoring in the second inning when Conner Maston tripled to right center and later scored on a Michael Delzell groundout.

Morningside added another run in the sixth when Jaxon Bunkers singled to open the frame and eventually scored on Maston's RBI single to center.

Maston finished with two hits and an RBI as the Mustangs totaled five hits offensively. Kai Purdy-Burton started for Morningside and allowed two runs over seven innings while striking out six.