Mustangs see season end in 13 inning marathon

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Mustangs got their revenge from a Wednesday loss, but were unable to pull out a marathon victory in the pod championship to end their season.

Morningside defeated Hastings 9-1 in five innings in the first game of the day Thursday to avenge a loss Wednesday to the Broncos. Midland, who entered Thursday unbeaten in the conference tournament, defeated Morningside 8-2 in a 13 inning thriller. 

Hastings struck for a run in the top of the first of game one, but were held in check for the remainder of the game. In the bottom of the second inning, Ellie Gengler stole third base, and scored on an errant throw from the catcher. Mykel Ann Gray then doubled home Vanessa Bohuslavsky and scored on a Sydney Petersen double. To round out the second inning scoring, Morgan Nixon singled to bring in Ellie Cropley and Petersen. 

Grace Buffington got the start in the circle, but after two innings, was removed for Bralen Biddlecome, who pitched the final three innings of the win. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Gray hit a solo home run to make it 6-1 Mustangs. Gray went 4-for-4 in the game including two doubles and a home run. In the bottom of the fifth, Mackenna Sidzyik singled home two runners. Later in the inning, another Gray double scored a runner to end the game on the run-rule. 

Gengler and Bohuslavsky added two hits each for the Mustangs. 

The Mustangs and Warriors met in the pod championship with the Mustangs needing to win two from the Warriors but Midland only needing one win to advance. The Mustangs were in a similar situation at Midland last spring.

Midland scored first on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third, but Morningside took the lead on a Nixon two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. 

Midland tied the game in the top of the sixth. From there, Buffington and Midland's Aliyah Rincon settled into a back-and-forth pitchers duel. Both pitchers tossed the complete 13-inning game, eclipsing 180 pitches each. 

Midland finally broke the game open in the top of the 13th, and while Morningside was able to get runners on corners, they were unable to even the score. 

Gray, Petersen and Kennedee Jones tallied two hits each. 

Morningside ends the season with a 33-14 record and a 16-6 conference record.