Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It was a matchup of the top two teams atop the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) standings on Friday as No. 24 Midland University traveled to take on Morningside University. The Mustangs edged the Warriors, 6-5, in nine innings in game one. Midland responded with a 2-1 win in game two. Both teams entered the day looking to clinch a host site in next week’s tournament. With the split, a four-way tie now sits atop the standings heading into the final day of the regular season, along with Dakota Wesleyan and Dordt, who face one another in Sioux Center, Iowa.
GAME ONE: Morningside 6, Midland 5 (9 innings)
Following two scoreless innings, Midland scratched across the game’s first run in the top of the third. Jaidan Wehrle singled to left to drive in Sophie De Rouin, who had reached on a one-out single.
Morningside answered in a big way in the bottom half. After loading the bases with two outs, the Mustangs hit a grand slam to take a 4-1 lead.
The Warriors responded with two runs in the fourth as Emma Hodnet hit a two-run home run, scoring Isabelle Pagan, who had led off the inning with a double.
After Morningside added a run in the bottom of the fourth, both teams were held in check in the fifth.
Midland tied the game in the sixth with a pair of runs. Jayci Reimers drove in Alexis Shepherd with a single, and Grace Behrns brought in Pagan with a bases-loaded groundout. Morningside escaped further damage with the game tied, 5-5.
After a scoreless seventh, the game moved into extra innings. Midland put two runners on in the eighth but was unable to score, while Morningside went down in order.
In the ninth, Midland again put two on with two outs but could not deliver a go-ahead hit. In the bottom half, the Mustangs opened with back-to-back singles, and a sacrifice bunt moved the lead runner to third. On a sharply hit ball to second, the throw came home, but the runner slid in just ahead of the tag for the walk-off win.
Campbell Petrick went the distance and took the loss. She allowed two earned runs on eight hits over 8 1/3 innings while striking out one.
Statistical Standouts
- Jaidan Wehrle: 1-for-5, RBI
- Isabelle Pagan: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2B, SB
- Emma Hodnet: 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, HR
- Jayci Reimers: 2-for-5, RBI
- Grace Behrns: 1-for-4, RBI
GAME TWO: Midland 2, Morningside 1
Early on, pitching and defense controlled the game. Both teams left two runners stranded in the third, keeping it scoreless through three innings.
Midland broke through in the fourth. Jayci Reimers led off with a one-out single, and pinch runner Charlee Wegner stole second. Emma Hodnet followed with an RBI double to right-center to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
An inning later, MaKenna Watkins added to the lead with a solo home run to left-center. Morningside answered with a run in the bottom half but ran itself out of the inning on a caught stealing, with Claire Wisnieski assisting as Hodnet applied the tag for the third out.
The Mustangs threatened again in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but Midland escaped with a strikeout to end the inning. Offensively, Morningside managed just a leadoff walk in the sixth against Mackenzie Groninga, as Midland secured the 2-1 win.
Groninga allowed one hit and one run over seven innings, striking out 13 while improving to 20-3 on the season.
Statistical Standouts
- MaKenna Watkins: 1-for-4, R, RBI, HR
- Jayci Reimers: 2-for-4, 2B
- Emma Hodnet: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 2B
- Sophie De Rouin: 2-for-3
- Mackenzie Groninga: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 13 K
Midland (34-12, 16-4 GPAC) will travel to take on Doane (20-23, 7-13 GPAC) in the regular-season finale Saturday in Crete, Nebraska. First pitch of the conference doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. The Warriors are seeking a share of the regular-season championship, a feat they last accomplished in 2022.
