Mustangs open league play against Eagles, Vikings
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mount Mercy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
|
Central Methodist (MO) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mount Mercy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
|
Central Methodist (MO) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mount Mercy | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
|
Missouri Valley | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 9 | 12 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mount Mercy | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
|
Missouri Valley | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 7 | 12 | 1 |
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Mount Mercy softball opened Heart of America Athletic Conference play over the weekend, dropping a doubleheader at third-ranked Central Methodist on Friday and two more at Missouri Valley on Saturday.
Friday's opener was a pitcher's duel early between Mount Mercy's Kalli Minger and Central Methodist's Haile Farris. The pair threw five scoreless innings each before the Mustangs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth. The Eagles tied it in the bottom half then walked it off with a three-run homer in the seventh to win it, 5-2.
Game two was tight as well until Central Methodist broke it open in the fifth. An RBI single by Calli Janik in the third tied the game at 1-1, but after that it was all Eagles (21-3, 2-0 Heart). They took a 2-1 lead in the third, scored four in the fifth, and wrapped it up early with three more in the sixth to grab a 9-1 victory.
Sarah Heick and Ashley Smith each had a hit and an RBI in the opener. Minger gave up four earned runs on 11 hits with no walks and no strikeouts. Janik and Rylee Goodfellow collected two hits apiece in game two while Alyssa McElvain allowed two earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.
The Mustang offense continued to struggle in Saturday's opener, a 9-2 win for Missouri Valley. Mount Mercy managed only four hits, one each for Heick, Janik, Allie Poston, and Sam Lee. The Vikings got three runs on three hits off Minger (4-8) in the first before she was replaced by Megan Steffens, who went the final five innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs with a strikeout.
A two-run triple by Mount Mercy's Natalie Tecklenburg broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the fourth inning of game two, but a four-run sixth by Missouri Valley (10-14, 4-0 Heart) gave the Vikings the sweep, 7-4. Ashley Smith, Goodfellow, and Annika Headington had two hits each. McElvain (6-6) surrendered 12 hits and four earned runs in 5-1/3 innings for the Mustangs (10-14, 0-4 Heart).
Mount Mercy is back in action on Friday when they travel to William Penn for a 1:00 pm doubleheader in Oskaloosa. The Mustangs host Culver-Stockton in their home opener on Saturday at 1:00 pm at Busse Field.