SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The winning ways continued for (RV) Midland University softball as the Warriors extending the unbeaten streak to nine-straight behind a pivotal sweep of No. 11 Morningside College on Tuesday. The matchup featured the Great Plains Athletic Conference’s top-two programs and lived up to the billing with enough offensive production to have any fan on the edge of their seat.
The sweep makes things interesting as Midland’s GPAC record improves to 16-2 with four games remaining in the regular season. Morningside drops to 17-3 in the league with just two games remaining on its schedule. Overall, Midland is 28-7 on the year while Morningside moves to 39-6.
Game One: Midland 9, Morningside 8 (eight innings)
The Warriors got ahead early courtesy of a single from Sierra Athow to score Katlin Anders from second. Roni Foote followed with her first triple of the season which found space down the right-field line to plate Bobbi Singleton and Athow. Morningside countered with a sac fly in the bottom of the first to bring the score to 3-1. Midland picked up another two runs in the top of the second, increasing the lead to 5-1 after a two-RBI single from Singleton.
The Warriors continued to build a sizeable lead with an RBI double from Carly Pfitzer in the third, but the Mustangs hung around, plating one of their own in the bottom of the inning. Morningside’s offensive burst came in the fifth inning when the home runs started to fly. First, there was a two-run shot to left field, then a solo shot cleared the fence in left to bring things to 6-5 in favor of Midland. Anders got in on the home run action with her seventh of the year to bring the score to 8-5. The comfortable lead was short-lived, however, as another two-run shot left the yard for the Mustangs, seeing the score at 8-7 heading into the seventh.
Morningside found the tying run in the bottom of the seventh when a single up the middle scored a runner from third. The Warriors got out of trouble with a double play to move the game into extra innings. Midland wouldn’t need to wait long before it found a go-ahead run as Athow homered to left-center to bring things to 9-8. Midland closed out the bottom of the eighth in three up three down fashion to take a 9-8 win in the opener.
Statistical Leaders:
- Katlin Anders: 2-of-5, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 1 HR
- Sierra Athow: 2-of-5, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 1 HR
- Roni Foote: 2-of-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 3B
- Bobbi Singleton: 1-of-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB
- Hailee Fliam: 6.0 IP, 7 ER
Game Two: Midland 10, Morningside 8
The Mustangs were the first to strike in game two as a leadoff home run put the home team up 1-0. Morningside added another when a double steal drew a throw down the second, allowing the runner from third to score safely. Midland responded in the top of the second when a single from Pfitzer brought Athow home. Kiera Painter doubled later in the frame to plate Foote from second, tying the score at 2-2.
Midland’s statement inning came in the third when the Warriors scored six runs on five hits. The burst was highlighted by a three-run homer from Singleton as the lead extended to 8-2. Morningside chipped away at the lead, using a pair of fielding errors to its advantage to score a pair in the bottom of the third. Midland picked up a run in the fifth when Pfitzer homered to left center, moving the score to 9-4. Morningside came back with three runs on two long balls in the bottom of the sixth, pulling within reach at 9-7 with three outs to work with.
The Warriors came back in the top of the seventh when Athow sent the team’s third homer of the game over the fence in left field. The Mustangs kept things interesting, getting runners on the corners with one gone in the bottom of the seventh. Aliyah Rincon countered with her seventh strikeout of the night to put two outs on the board. Morningside’s batter battled in a tough at-bat and pulled through with an RBI single to pull within two runs, but the excitement quickly fell away as a pop-up to second bases ended the threat in a 10-8 Warrior win.
Statistical Leaders:
- Bobbi Singleton: 1-of-3, 3 RBI, 1 HR
- Kiera Painter: 2-of-3, 2 RBI, 2 2B, 1 BB
- Carly Pfitzer: 2-of-3, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 HR
- Aliyah Rincon: 7.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 K
Up Next
Midland (28-7, 16-2 GPAC) will look ahead to a GPAC doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan University on Thursday, April 29 in Mitchell, South Dakota. Dakota Wesleyan is 9-23 this season with a 1-15 record in GPAC play.
