Offense surges, then struggles in road stint

ATCHISON, Kan. / BALDWIN CITY, Kan. - The Mount Mercy softball team blitzed Benedictine (Kan.) for 22 runs and 27 hits during Saturday afternoon's doubleheader before being shutdown on Sunday to fourth-ranked Baker (Kan.) in Heart of America Athletic Conference action. 

Through two innings, the Mustangs held a 1-0 advantage over the Ravens, but back-to-back jacks from Makenna Moenk and Allie Poston put Mount Mercy on top 3-0 after three complete. Rylee Goodfellow's RBI single down the right field line plated Sam Lee and increased Mount Mercy's lead. The Mustangs tacked on three more in the sixth highlighted by Moenk's second home run of the game, as Mount Mercy cruised to the 8-1 win. Jayna Witzany was perfect through four innings until she allowed a solo home run. She totaled 17 strikeouts, two walks, and that lone hit. Her 17 strikeouts are second all-time at Mount Mercy. Goodfellow finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI, while Moenk, Lee, and Poston each recorded two hits. 

Mount Mercy led 1-0 after three innings of play in game two, but a six hit and two error bottom of the fourth saw Benedictine score eight to stun the Mustangs. Mount Mercy answered in their next at-bat, with an unheard of, 11-run fifth inning to retake the lead, 12-8. Jade Sharp started the rally with a lead-off single and Mount Mercy brought 14 batters to the plate, tallying eight hits. With two outs and the bases loaded, Moenk delivered with a grand slam and her third home run of the day to give the momentum back to the Mustangs. The Ravens homered to start the fifth, cutting the lead to 12-10. Benedictine forced Mount Mercy to use four pitchers in the last two innings and after consecutive singles and a walk to load the bases, the Mustangs returned to their ace, Witzany. She got out of the jam with a pop up to shortstop. Mount Mercy added two more insurance runs in the sixth for the 14-10 lead as Witzany retired the final six Raven hitters for her second save of the season. Moenk finished her monster game going 2-for-4 with six RBI and two runs scored. Sharp was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, and Goodfellow recorded three RBI to lead Mount Mercy. 

After erupting offensively, the Mustangs seemed ready for their opportunity against the fourth-ranked Wildcats on Sunday, but Baker's ace, Kira Baker, had other ideas as she tossed a perfect game. Witzany (9-4) nearly matched her, giving up just one hit which happened to be a home run; that was all Baker needed to escape with the 1-0 win. Baker struck out 15 compared to Witzany's nine. 

In game two, it was another pitcher's dual between Kalli Minger (3-6) and Baker's Skylar Gorrell. Each pitcher scattered five hits over the course of the game and didn't allow a run until the seventh. Mount Mercy had runners in scoring position in four innings and couldn't capitalize on four Wildcat errors, stranding nine runners on base. With two outs in the seventh and extra innings on the horizon, Kerstyn Finch walked it off with a home run to left center field, defeating Mount Mercy 3-0. Natalie Tecklenburg, Moenk, Poston, Lee, and Ashley Smith recorded the Mustangs' five hits. 

Mount Mercy (15-10, 4-2) has another opportunity at a top-25 opponent as 21st-ranked Central Methodist (Mo.) comes to town on Tuesday, April 4th. First pitch of the Heart doubleheader is slated for 3:00 pm at Busse Field. This is a reschedule from Sunday, March 26th due to cold weather and rain.