Mustangs take three of four after long homestand

OLATHE, Kan. / PARKVILLE, Mo. – After nearly a month of home games, the Mount Mercy softball team went on the road for a pair of Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheaders. The Mustangs took both from MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday before splitting Sunday's contest with Park.

MidAmerica Nazarene (21-7, 12-4 Heart) opened game one with a two-run home run, but Mikayla Fritz hit her first home run of the day to tie the game in the second. Mount Mercy would tack on two more in the third after a double by Shelly Mack and an RBI single from Keily Ulatowski. The Pioneers scored one more in the fifth and the Mustangs countered with another run in the top of the seventh for the 5-3 win, giving Jayna Witzany more than enough run support. Witzany struck out 10, allowing just four hits while going the distance.

In game two, Mount Mercy jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before erupting for 10 runs in the third. Mack, Fritz, and Ulatowski each went deep that inning with Ulatowski's grand slam highlighting the scoring affair. The Mustangs routed the Pioneers, 11-1, in five innings to give Kalli Minger her sixth win of the season.

Witzany (9-2) tossed her fifth complete-game shutout of the season as Mount Mercy defeated Park, 6-0, in the first game on Sunday. Ulatowski blasted another homer to get the Mustangs on the board in the second. It would be a pitcher's duel until Mount Mercy broke through in the sixth for two runs and added three more in the seventh. Sam Lee, Allie Poston, and Ulatowski each collected two hits, with Ulatowski driving in three.

For the first time all weekend, Mount Mercy would be outhit by Park (14-12, 8-8 Heart) in the second game of the doubleheader. The Mustangs struck first once again on a home run, this time by Lee. Mount Mercy took a 2-1 lead in the third, but three consecutive innings with errors proved to be the difference. The Pirates capitalized on the miscues, scoring two in the fourth and four in the fifth for a 7-2 final, spoiling the weekend sweep for the Mustangs. Minger (6-6) went 4-2/3 innings, Annie Thomas came in for the final 1-1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out one.

Mount Mercy (15-11, 9-3 Heart) will take a break from conference play, traveling to Iowa Wesleyan on Tuesday for a 4:00 pm doubleheader in Mount Pleasant. On Wednesday, Clarke comes to town for a Heart of America doubleheader with the first pitch at 5:00 pm at Busse Field.