Morningside Wins Two on Senior Day

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Morningside picked up another pair of Great Plains Athletic Conference softball wins as the postseason tournament nears, beating Mount Marty 7-2 and 6-2 on Senior Day.

The Mustangs got on the board early in the day's first contest, as Amber Dougherty walked, was moved over by Jalyn Noelle, and came in on an Adeline Fliege home run to take a 2-0 advantage.

Noelle would start another crooked number-inning for Morningside after Mount Marty answered, coaxing a walk, with Fleige and Josie Hernandez advancing her with walks of their own. Bralen Biddlecome laced a double to right center, scoring both Noelle and Fleige before the inning came to a close.

The Mustangs manufactured another run in the fourth, led off by a walk for Emma Barwick. Barwick stole second, and advanced to third as Noelle attempted to sacrifice, only for all runners to reach safely. A walk for Mackenzi Harrel with the bases loaded scored Barwick. 

Macanna Guritz got Morningside started again in the fifth as she laced a single through the left side. Ashlyn Caniglia took over on the basepaths for Guritz and immediately stole second base. A Jenna Skradski bunt single moved Caniglia to third and put runners on the corners, allowing a run to score on a Barwick sacrifice fly and Jenna Skradski, who had stolen second, to move to third before scoring on a Dougherty ground out.

Fliege collected the win in the circle, throwing six inning with one earned run before Jordan Skraski took over for a scoreless seventh.

Senior duo Morgan Secora and Biddlecome split duties in the nightcap, with Lainie Keller making up the second half of the battery. Secora got the win in the start, throwing four innings while giving up one run. Biddlecome allowed just one run in the final three innings, adding a strikeout to her stat line as she picked up the save.

Harrel got Morningside's offense moving in the contest, as Morningside had to play catch up, reaching on a throwing error and taking second on another throwing error during a Fliege at bat. Harrel scored the tying run from second base, running on contact as Hernandez perfectly placed a floating popup in a hole in shallow right field.

The Mustangs blew the game open in the fourth inning, as Jenna Skradski walked and stole second. Dougherty beat out a slap across the diamond to advance Jenna Skradski and alertly took second while a fielder held the ball. Noelle scored the runner from third and advanced Dougherty on a ground out to the right side before a Harrel double scored Dougherty and a Fliege single up the middle scored Harrel. 

Morningside answered a Lancer run in the fifth with one of its own, as Barwick reached first on an error, stole second, and scored on a Dougherty single. 

Jordan Skradski got an opportunity on the basepaths in the sixth inning, running for Hernandez, who had worked a four-pitch walk. Jordan Skradski then stole second before scoring on a Biddlecome single up the middle.

The Mustangs now look ahead to a full final week of the regular season, as the weather-delayed Midland series on Friday joins previously-scheduled doubleheaders at Waldorf on Wednesday and the regular season finale at home against Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday.