Mustangs Suffer Two Road Losses to Close Out Weekend Slate

DAVENPORT, Iowa — On Sunday, Mount Mercy University faced a challenging day on the diamond, suffering a 14-3 defeat against Madonna University in a neutral-site matchup, followed by a 3-0 loss to St. Ambrose University at the St. Ambrose Dome.

GAME ONE

In the matchup against Madonna, Mount Mercy managed six hits, including a notable triple. The Mustangs initially took the lead in the first inning when Kennedy Daugherty reached base on an error and advanced to third on a single by Mia Petersen, who then stole second.

Abbey Smith's single, along with an error, allowed both Daugherty and Petersen to score, giving Mount Mercy a 2-0 lead. However, Madonna quickly countered, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 advantage.

The second inning saw no scoring from the Mustangs, while Madonna capitalized with a double by Regan Finkbeine and a single from Ashley Rosiewicz, extending their lead to 4-2. The third inning was more challenging for Mount Mercy, as they were held scoreless while the Crusaders exploded for nine runs, including a 2-RBI single by Rosiewicz and a sacrifice fly by Faith Cramton, pushing the score to 13-2.

In the fourth inning, the Mustangs added a run when pinch runner McKenzie Kissell scored on Lilly Wuethrich's triple. However, Madonna answered with one more run, concluding the game at 14-3.

Individual highlights included Petersen, who finished with two hits, one run, and a stolen base, posting an OPS of 2.000. Smith led in RBIs with two, while Wuethrich contributed two hits, one triple, and an RBI, achieving an OPS of 3.000. Daugherty also made an impact with a run scored and a stolen base.

For Madonna, Ella Thomas was a standout performer, racking up three runs, three hits, and three RBIs, including a double, and boasting an OPS of 2.333. Olivia Salinas matched Thomas's performance with three hits and three RBIs, while Finkbeine scored three runs and also hit a double.

GAME TWO

In the second game against St. Ambrose, Mount Mercy tallied three hits, including another triple, but could not find the scoreboard as St. Ambrose's pitching staff secured a shutout with five strikeouts.

The game remained scoreless through the first four innings until the fifth, when Wuethrich singled, advancing pinch runner Kissell to third, but she was left stranded. St. Ambrose broke the deadlock when Shai Erdrich scored on a groundout, putting them ahead 1-0.

Mount Mercy struggled offensively in the sixth inning, while St. Ambrose extended their lead with Ada Boysen scoring after reaching third on a throwing error, followed by Kylie Schult scoring on a single, making it 3-0. The Mustangs could not respond in the seventh, resulting in the final score of 3-0.

Abbey Smith highlighted the Mustangs' offense with a triple and a hit, while Wuethrich recorded a hit and a walk, reaching base twice. Jade Hynek added a hit and a stolen base. On the mound, Ashley Webb pitched a complete game, striking out four over six innings.

St. Ambrose's Leah Maro delivered a stellar performance, pitching a complete game shutout with just three hits allowed and five strikeouts, maintaining a WHIP of 0.57. Anna Engberg showcased her defensive prowess with four assists and contributed offensively with a walk and a hit, driving in one run.

Looking ahead, the Mustangs will face Concordia (NE) on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. and Bethany (KS) at 12:15 p.m. on the road in Shawnee, Kansas.