Mustangs mix power, precision in sweep of Hastings

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. -- Throughout the early portion of Great Plains Athletic Conference play, the Morningside baseball team has relied on its power to pile up wins. On Sunday, the Mustangs showed another way.

Morningside (17-10, 5-1 GPAC) used key baserunning and situational hitting to sweep Hastings by scores of 7-5 and 8-1 at Klasey Park. The Mustangs took sole possession of first place in the conference.

"It's a great start to the schedule for us, and getting off to play winning baseball was huge for us," head coach Adam Boeve said.

In Game 1, the Mustangs erased a 3-0 deficit and scored five consecutive runs across the third and fourth innings to take control.

During the third inning, Morningside scored four times, including a Romani Perez home run to spark the rally. Kentaro Felton added an RBI groundout, while Kade Yasui brought in a run with a sacrifice fly.

"Different guys came up in moments," Boeve said. "Putting balls in play with runners in scoring position was critical for us. I thought the offense clicked in different phases."

Felton also caught all 16 innings Sunday in 40-degree weather.

"He's a team-first guy, and if you let him, he'd catch 30 innings," Boeve said. "He needs to grow with our pitching staff defensively. He's just going to keep getting better."

Perez added another home run in the fourth inning — his fourth of the weekend — to extend the lead to 7-5.

Perez and Michael Snyder each had two hits, while Connor Woods and Mason King added stolen bases.

Conner Maston earned the win, allowing five runs on six hits. After a difficult first inning, the Killduff, Iowa, native settled in and limited Hastings to just two hits the rest of the way.

Rhys Fairweather and Sam Hanson pitched in both games and combined to hold the Broncos scoreless on one hit over the final four outs.

In Game 2, Morningside's offense was just as precise.

The Mustangs consistently took advantage of opportunities with disciplined at-bats and aggressive baserunning that pressured Hastings throughout the game. In the second inning, Michael Snyder and Michael Delzell each reached and moved into scoring position, setting the table for Jacob O'Dell's two-run single that opened the scoring. An inning later, Mason King worked a walk and advanced before Snyder delivered an RBI single to extend the lead.

That approach carried into the later innings, where Morningside created separation. Connor Woods sparked the seventh by drawing a walk, stealing second, and advancing to third on a throwing error before Felton drove him in with an RBI single. Moments later, Ian Thomas added to the pressure, swiping both second and third before scoring on a wild pitch.

"Every 90 feet we can get just adds pressure to our opponent," Boeve said. "That gives us a chance to put up runs. We were aggressive and intelligent. You want to have no fear, but you want to have some intelligence running the bases, too."

The pitching was strong in Game 2 as well. After loading the bases in the first inning, Tiago Sanchez worked out of trouble and did not allow a run. Over 4 2/3 innings, he gave up just one hit, struck out seven, and allowed no earned runs.

"The poise he had and the resiliency he showed to make some really quality pitches was absolutely huge," Boeve said. "His ability to get out of that first-inning jam and get into the fifth inning was great for us."

Boeve turned to three relievers — Yasui, Fairweather, and Hanson — who allowed just one earned run on two hits and two walks the rest of the way.