Mustangs Edged in Pair of Nail-Biters, Advances to Conference Championship as No. 7 Seed

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Mount Mercy University (20-25, 15-12) faced William Penn University (26-19, 17-10) in a doubleheader at Penn Field on Saturday, resulting in a narrow 4–3 loss in the first game, followed by a thrilling 13–12 extra-inning defeat in the second game.

In Game 1, Mount Mercy scored two runs in the third inning and added another in the fourth, but William Penn's two-run seventh inning secured the victory. The Mustangs capitalized on the Statesmen's errors in the third; Jade Hynek reached first on an error, and Kendra Mescher was hit by a pitch.

Ashley Smith then reached first on another error, bringing in Hynek for an unearned run, and Abbey Smith grounded out, allowing Mescher to score, also unearned. The inning concluded with both teams tied at 2–2.

In the fourth inning, Mount Mercy briefly took the lead with a solo home run by Lilly Wuethrich to center field. Megan Harrison followed with a single but was later replaced by pinch runner Lucee Howe, who was caught stealing. At the end of the fourth, the score was 3–2 in favor of the Mustangs.

The game remained scoreless through the fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh, Mescher doubled to right center and advanced to third, but Mount Mercy was unable to capitalize further. William Penn responded in the bottom of the seventh with two outs when Laila Smith hit a two-run homer, sealing the win for the Statesmen with a final score of 4–3.

Wuethrich led the offensive effort with a home run and an RBI. Mescher recorded two hits, including a double, and added a stolen base.

For William Penn, Smith delivered a standout performance with a home run and two RBIs, while Laila Gutierrez contributed a double and two RBIs. On the mound, Austin Hitchner pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run over seven innings while striking out three batters.

For the Mustangs, Ashley Webb pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 4 earned runs, with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

Game Two

In game two, Mount Mercy fell to William Penn in a close 13–12 extra-inning contest. Despite hitting three home runs and accumulating 16 hits, the Mustangs could not overcome the Statesmen's offensive surge, which included a decisive two-run eleventh inning.

Mount Mercy took an early lead in the first inning when Jade Hynek walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a strikeout. Ashley Smith then singled to left field, allowing Hynek to score, ending the inning with the Mustangs leading 1–0.

However, in the second inning, William Penn responded with a substantial offensive surge, scoring six runs, including a two-RBI double by Laila Smith and a two-RBI single from Leah Conlon, giving the Statesmen a 6–1 advantage.

The Mustangs narrowed the gap in the third inning. Kennedy Daugherty, Hynek, and Kendra Mescher all singled, with Daugherty scoring on a wild pitch. Calli Janik then hit a three-run homer, bringing the Mustangs within one run at 6–5.

After a quiet fourth and fifth inning, Mount Mercy regained momentum in the sixth when Daugherty's two-RBI double brought in pinch runners Addi Petersen and Fionna McLeod, allowing both to score on an error by William Penn. The Mustangs took the lead 7–6.

The Statesmen regained control in the seventh, scoring two runs off Laila Gutierrez's single, bringing the score to 8–7. Mount Mercy tied the game in the same inning with Raegan Ware's RBI single, making it 8–8.

In the ninth, Lilly Wuethrich hit a home run, briefly giving the Mustangs a 9–8 lead, but the Statesmen equalized with a home run by Marin Frazee, ending the inning tied at 9–9. Janik's two-run homer in the tenth gave Mount Mercy the lead again, but the Statesmen tied it 11–11 after scoring two runs, including one unearned.

In the eleventh inning, Mount Mercy scored on a wild pitch, with Smith crossing home plate. However, William Penn secured victory with two runs, including a walk-off RBI double by Gutierrez, finishing the game at 13–12.

Janik led the Mustangs with two home runs, driving in five runs. Hynek scored two runs and stole a base, while Wuethrich added a homer and an RBI.

For the Statesmen, Frazee impacted the game with a home run and three runs scored, while Gutierrez drove in four runs and scored twice. Conlon made significant contributions with four hits and three RBIs, alongside Laila Smith, who had three hits and two RBIs.

Maggie McNally pitched 6 1/3 innings for the Mustangs, allowing seven earned runs on ten hits, while Ashley Webb followed with 2 2/3 innings yielding two earned runs. Addie Gralund took the loss after pitching 1 1/3 innings and allowing four runs.

For William Penn, Shannon Van Rheenen pitched nine innings, allowing three earned runs on eleven hits. Tori Smith struggled in two innings, giving up five earned runs.

With the results, Mount Mercy now holds an overall record of 18-26 and is 13-13 in conference play. The Statesmen improve to 26-18 with a 17-9 mark in the conference.

The Mustangs will next focus on the conference championship, entering as the No. 7 seed.