Mustangs sweep Ravens and Wildcats, extend streak to seven

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Mount Mercy softball team tallied 35 hits in four games, defeating Benedictine 3-0 and 4-2 on Saturday followed by 3-0 and 9-1 victories against Baker on Sunday for the Heart of America Athletic Conference South Division weekend sweep at Busse Field. The Mustangs have won seven in a row and nine of their last 10 games.

Allie Poston drilled a home run to left field in the top of the second inning to give the Mustangs their first run of the game in Saturday's opener. Mount Mercy tacked on another run in the fifth and sixth innings to give Jayna Witzany more than enough run support. Witzany threw her 13th complete game of the season, shutting down the Raven offense allowing just four hits, no walks, and striking out 15. Poston finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Jade Sharp, Rylee Goodfellow, Keily Ulatowski, and Makenna Moenk each recorded a hit as well.

Michelle Mack got in on the hitting brigade in game two with a two-run triple to right center bringing home Goodfellow and Ulatowski for a 2-0 first-inning lead. Benedictine (14-16, 4-12 Heart) would threaten in the top of the second with three hits, but Kalli Minger pitched her way out of the jam with three infield outs in a row. Mount Mercy plated two more in the fourth on Sharp and Ulatowski RBIs. After 13 straight scoreless innings, the Ravens finally broke through in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit in half, 4-2. Annie Thomas came in and recorded the final two outs. Minger earned her seventh win of the season, going 6-1/3 strong innings striking out three. Mack was 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Mustang offense.

Witzany (13-2) picked up where she left off on Saturday with another stellar performance against Baker (18-13, 9-9 Heart) on Sunday. She struck out 16 en route to a one-hit, complete-game shutout, her fifth consecutive shutout. After back-to-back hits from Mikayla Fritz and Alyssa Niketopoulos, Moenk executed a squeeze bunt to perfection to get the Mustangs on the board. In the fourth, Goodfellow singled to right bringing in pinch runner Sidney Osborn. Poston went deep for her second homer of the weekend to give Mount Mercy a 3-0 edge after five. Witzany struck out four of the final six batters for her 13th win of the season. Poston, Fritz, and Niketopoulos had two hits apiece.

Mount Mercy (22-11, 15-3Heart) scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, but Baker answered in the fourth, scoring on a Mustang wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. The Mustang bats came alive in their half of the fourth, scoring six runs on six hits, leading to a 9-1 defeat of the Wildcats in six innings. Seven Mustangs recorded RBI, including two by Niketopoulous. Sharp, Mack, Poston, and Fritz each collected two hits. Minger (8-6) went the distance, allowing one earned run on six hits while walking none and striking out three.

The Mustangs are on the road this week, beginning with a Tuesday trip to Canton, Mo., to take on Culver-Stockton at 2:00 pm. A showdown with 11th-ranked Central Methodist looms on Saturday as Mount Mercy faces the Eagles at 1:00 pm in Fayette, Mo.