Mustangs sweep Dickens of a doubleheader

Photo courtesy of Ashley Mallory, Hastings College.

HASTINGS, NEB. – It was a tale of two games for Morningside's offense today in Hastings, Neb., with the best of times coming in a 10-1 victory over the Broncos, and simply "pretty good times" coming in game two, which took 10 innings to reach a 2-0 victory for the Mustangs.

Dominant pitching was the theme for game two, as Morningside's pitching staff gave up just one hit across 10 innings and Hastings' Markus Miller threw the complete 10-inning game on 104 pitches.  

Kai Purdy-Burton had another great outing for the Mustangs, surrendering the lone Hastings hit in seven scoreless innings and striking out seven. Josh Thurman threw 2.1 innings in relief with one strikeout, collecting the win, and Alex Calabrese got a ground ball for an out before slamming the door on the final Bronco at bat, getting a swinging strikeout for the save.

Morningside did scatter 10 hits across the outing, with Nick Grajeda, Elijah Rude, and Aiden Bishop each getting a pair of hits. 

It was Eddie Brancato that broke the stalemate in the top of the 10th, punching a ball into left field. 

Bishop had dropped a single into left center to start the inning, with Calabrese moving Bishop over with a sacrifice. A fly ball for Hastings was good for out number two for the Broncos, bringing up Hunter Hope. Hope was walked to put the force back in play, when Brancato stepped to the plate.

Brancato's single to left brought in Bishop from second, good for the go ahead RBI. The play wasn't over with Brancato taking second and Hope moving to third as the ball was thrown in. Hastings turned its attention to Brancato, trying to catch him over-rounding second, when the ball got away from the Broncos' second baseman, allowing the speedy Hope, who had broken for the plate, to give Morningside an insurance run.

Hits were aplenty in the day's opener for Morningside, as the team knocked 12 hits in the 10-run game. Eddie Brancato, Jayson Willers, Nick Grajeda, Elijah Rude, and Ryan Kiolbassa all had two-hit games against Hastings. Brancato, Grajeda, Rude, and Hunter Hope each had a double, accounting for Morningside's three extra base hits. Brian Garcia had the lone stolen base for the Mustangs, getting himself into scoring position after hitting into a fielder's choice.

Willers, Kiolbassa, and Hope were RBI leaders for the Mustangs in game one, each moving a pair of runs across the plate. Brancato, Grajeda, and Rude notched the remaining three RBIs in the contest.

Wade Canaday, this week's Great Plains Athletic Conference pitcher of the week, threw another complete game gem, striking out three and scattering seven hits throughout the seven innings.

Morningside is back on the diamond on Tuesday, traveling to Dordt University for a rescheduled doubleheader, beginning at 4 p.m. in Sioux Center, Iowa.