Warriors take series in Florida

BABSON PARK, Fla. -- The Mount Mercy baseball team traveled to Florida for a weekend series against 12th-ranked Webber, dropping three-of-four games to the Warriors at Brad Niethammer Field. Webber swept a Friday doubleheader, 8-0 and 5-3. The Mustangs earned a split on Saturday, falling, 8-7, in the last at-bat in the opener before gaining an 8-6 victory in the nightcap.

Matthew Murphy was the Mustangs' leading hitter during the four-game set, batting .571 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in. Drake Frazier hit .429 in three games while Trent Hoogerwerf had a home run while driving in four. Kyle Moeder and Jeremy Figueroa also drove in a pair of runs for Mount Mercy.

On the mound, Owen Brauch (1-0) got the win in relief as the Mustangs salvaged a victory in the series finale. Brandon Bickford drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth and Murphy provided an insurance run in the sixth. Brauch tossed four innings of one-hit ball with four strikeouts and two walks. Jon Cross earned his first save of the season.

Mount Mercy (2-6) will be off for nearly two weeks until their home opener against St. Ambrose. The Mustangs host a three-game, non-conference series with the Bees on March 1-2 at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex. Friday's doubleheader begins at 1:00 pm, while Saturday's single, nine-inning game starts at noon.