Mustangs Split Season Opening Doubleheader

PAPILLION, Neb. - The Mount Mercy baseball team's quest for a second straight Heart of America crown started on Saturday, splitting the season opening doubleheader with Mount Marty, 10-4 and 10-0.

Game One

The Mustangs were paced on offense by a three hit game from Nick Meyer, while Jaden Hackbarth led the way with a pair of RBIs.

The Lancers of Mount Marty got the scoring started in the second inning as Lucas Kampshoff hit the ball over the outfield wall for his first homer of the year. Following two more Mount Marty runs, it was the Mustangs turn to come up to bat in the bottom of the fifth, where the Mustangs would do their damage.

Following a Yahirdavi Ortiz single with two outs, it was the leadoff man Jaden Hackbarth that dealt the first blow of the season, blasting his first homer of the year to bring the Mustangs to within one. Jeremy Figueroa wasted no time in tying the game up, smashing a solo shot to tie the game. It was then Josh Notriano's turn, giving the Mustangs the lead in the bottom of the fifth after three straight long balls by the Mount Mercy offense.

The Mustangs would not be able to hold the lead long, as Daniel Vonnegut tripled, driving in a run to square the game up at four in the top of the sixth, as the game would eventually head to extras. In the top of the eighth, Will Gardner would give the Lancers the lead on a two-RBI single, driving in a pair, giving Mount Marty a 6-4 lead. The dagger in the game would come off the bat of Joe Gokie, blasting a three-run shot to give the Lancers a six run lead, which would hold to be the final.

Jacob Walker gets credited for the first Mount Marty win of the new campaign, pitching 3.1 innings in relief while allowing just two hits and striking out three. For the Mustangs, the loss goes to Owen Brauch, pitching 3.1 innings in relief while allowing four hits and five earned runs and striking out five.

Game Two

In the nightcap, newcomers Michael Rivero and Griffen Bushnell would each tally a pair of hits, which were their firsts in a Mustang uniform. Bushnell, along with Jaden Hackbarth, would tally a pair of RBI's.

Jeremy Figueroa got the scoring started in the first, scoring on an error to give the Mustangs a quick lead. Two more runs would come across on an error by the Mount Marty center fielder, as the Mustangs would extend their lead to three after a pair of innings played. 

The third inning saw the Mustangs do most of their damage, scoring six of their ten runs in the inning. Nick Meyer tallied his first homer of the year on a solo shot, while Derek Einertson scored his first run of the year on a fielders choice as the Mustangs extended their lead to five. Bushnell tallied the first of his two RBI's on a single to right, scoring Drew Terpins. Cedric Dunnwald would follow that up with an RBI single of his own to right, while Hackbarth added his second two run blast of the day to make it 9-0. The scoring would end in the fourth with Bushnell's second RBI, this time a double to right field, as the scoring would end at 10-0.

In his first start in a Mustang uniform, Owen Coffman earned the win, pitching just shy of five innings and allowing three hits while striking out seven. In his first appearance for the Mustangs, Matt Kelliher would card five strikeouts, including punching out his first collegiate batter. Jake Stolnack was tabbed with the loss, pitching two innings while allowing three runs and striking out two.

The Mustangs and Lancers will wrap up the season opening series with a doubleheader in Papillion tomorrow, with first pitch of game one scheduled for 12 p.m.