Mustangs pick up three one-run victories

DAVENPORT, Iowa - After a two week hiatus, the Mount Mercy softball team was back in action this past weekend. The Mustangs won their opener against Mount Marty (S.D.) in extra inning fashion, 2-1 before falling to Aquinas (Mich.) 5-1 later that afternoon. On Sunday, the Mustangs beat Aquinas 5-4 in a rematch and defeated host, St. Ambrose 2-1 inside the Ambrose Dome. 

The Mount Marty (4-2) game featured a pitcher's dual as neither Jayna Witzany or Makayla Graunke surrendered a run until the eighth inning in which each team started with a runner on second base due to the international tie breaker rule. The Lancers pushed one across in the top half, but the Mustangs responded with two in the bottom. Makenna Moenk's double plated Rylee Goodfellow with Moenk scoring two batters later on Allie Poston's game winning single to left. Witzany went the distance, striking out 16 and allowing the lone run on just three hits. 

Game two on Saturday began the same way as the previous with the Mustangs and Saints scoreless through three. Aquinas broke it open in the fourth with four runs and added another an inning later. Consecutive errors by the Saints and an infield single from Ashley Smith loaded the bases for the Mustangs in the fifth, but Mount Mercy only pushed one run across on Moenk's RBI. Natalie Tecklenburg tallied two of the Mustangs five hits in the game. 

Earlier today, Mount Mercy got a second chance at Aquinas (5-5). The Saints scored in the opening frame, but the Mustangs answered with three in the bottom of the second from two doubles off the bats of Poston and Keily Ulatowski. Abbey Smith's single up the middle plated Ulatowski to give Mount Mercy the 3-1 lead. The Mustangs added another run in the fourth, but the Saints plated two in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the game at four all. Despite a hit and an error, Witzany buckled down and struck out the final six batters setting up the Mustangs for the win in the seventh. Down to their final out, Poston reached on an error and came around to score on Grace Cotton's RBI to right field. The Mustangs collected their highest hit total (10) of a game this season as Ulatowski went 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI and run scored. Witzany (3-1) earned her second win of the weekend behind a 14 strikeout performance. 

The final game of the weekend was another defensive and pitching battle. Kalli Minger didn't give up a hit until the third and then limited St. Ambrose (7-4) to just two more over the final four innings. Mount Mercy took the lead in the fourth after a lead off single from Tecklenburg. She advanced to second on Cotton's sacrifice bunt and scored off Poston's single as the Bees tagged Poston out at second, allowing Tecklenburg to score. St. Ambrose leveled the game in the sixth after a lead-off walk and a Mustang miscue. For the third time this weekend, Mount Mercy plated a runner in the final inning for the walk-off win. This time it was Jade Sharp's single that started the rally. Two walks later loaded the bases for Tecklenburg who recorded her second hit of the game to score Sharp. Minger (1-1) picked up her first win of the season by sitting the Bees down in order in the seventh. Tecklenburg finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. 

Mount Mercy (5-3) will travel to Wichita, Kan. to compete in the Friends U Round Robin next Friday and Saturday, Mar. 3-4 for their first outdoor games of the season. The Mustangs will face Doane (Neb.) (6-6) at 2:00 pm and Kansas Christian (2-8) at 6:00 pm on Friday followed by Friends (Kan.) (2-2) at 10:00 am and 22nd-ranked Midland (Neb.) (6-4) at noon on Saturday. All games will be played at the Two Rivers Youth Complex.