Mustangs open GPAC tourney with late rally
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Morningside baseball team scored five ninth-inning runs Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough in a 12-9 loss to Dakota Wesleyan in the first round of the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Morningside baseball team scored five ninth-inning runs Wednesday, but it wasn't enough in a 12-9 loss to Dakota Wesleyan in the first round of the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament.
The Mustangs sent 10 men to the plate, and collected those five runs on two hits. Those two hits were run producers, as Kade Yasui had an RBI single early, and then Jaxon Bunkers delivered the final two runs on a double.
Outside of the ninth-inning push, Morningside showed flashes of offensive life early and in the middle innings, but couldn't fully overcome a pair of big scoring frames from Dakota Wesleyan.
The Mustangs struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on early traffic as Michael Snyder delivered an RBI single to bring home Yasui for a 1-0 lead.
After falling behind, Morningside found its biggest swing of the day in the fifth. With runners aboard, Yasui turned on a pitch and drove it out to right field for a three-run home run, cutting into a large deficit and giving the Mustangs some needed momentum.
Yasui continued to be a spark throughout the game, finishing with three hits and four RBIs to lead the offensive effort. Snyder also drove in two, while Michael Delzell scored twice.
Despite limited hits overall, the Mustangs remained patient at the plate, drawing 11 walks.
On the mound, Cade Nolan and Zach Neer combined for nine strikeouts.