Mustangs split second day in Tucson

TUCSON, ARIZ. – The Mustangs continued their Spring Break trip with more Arizona baseball, dropping an 11-4 game to Benedictine of Mesa before defeating fellow Great Plains Athletic Conference team, Jamestown, 10-7.

Morningside got on the board first in the Jamestown game, hanging a crooked 5 on the board in the top of the first inning and adding two runs in the top of the fourth, before a single Jimmie had crossed the plate. 

Jamestown got a run across in the bottom of the fourth inning, tightening the game up with four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. Fortunately for the Mustangs that would be the end of the scoring for the Jimmies. Morningside, having scored a run in the top of the fifth, added another pair in the eighth to seal the win.

Ryan Kiolbassa continues to hit the cover off the ball, recording a pair of RBIs in three hits. Nick Grajeda matched Kiolbassa with a pair of RBIs in three hits, and Hunter Hope had two ribbys with one hit. Jayson Willers had a two-hit game, driving in one.

Kiolbassa and Gunnar Kale both knocked triples for the Mustangs, while Grajeda had a pair of doubles and Willers had one two-bagger. Hope, Hunter Jenkins, and Brian Garcia each had a stolen base on the basepaths.

Kai Purdy-Burton was Morningside's starter, hurling for 4.2 innings, three hits, five runs, and five strikeouts. Josh Thurman had 3.0 scoreless innings, walking two and striking out two.

The Mustangs are back on the diamond in Mesa, Ariz., on Tuesday, playing a double header against Benedictine University Mesa.