Mustang
SOFTBALL
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 This afternoon, a six-game homestand concludes as Concordia University makes the northeasterly trek to Jensen Family Softball Complex. Head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann’s Morningside University squad is looking to bounce back from a three-game skid. They enter with a 16-12 overall and 4-6 Great Plains Athletic Conference record. The Bulldogs, under the direction of first-year head coach Tatum Edwards, bring in a 19-17 overall and 7-7 league mark.
THE SERIES Mside has a 39-18 all-time advantage, including winning nine of the last 11. CU upended the Mustangs twice on their home field as part of the 2021 GPAC tournament, as the two sides split four season contests.
THE MATCH-UP Freshman Grace Buffington’s complete-game gem in game one, April 9, was the highlight of a four-game home weekend slate. The circle standout locked up crosstown Great Plains Athletic Conference rival Briar Cliff University to the tune of four hits while striking out two as part of a 5-0 Mustangs win. Senior third baseman Morgan Nixon homered and drove in two. Senior outfielder Ellie Cropley also drove in two runs. From that point forward, Jones-Sitzmann’s squad was felled in three straight contests. BCU rallied for a 4-3 nightcap victory Saturday despite home runs off the bats of senior utility player Bre Tjebben and junior infielder Sydney Petersen. The following afternoon, a redhot Mount Marty University crew took the measure of Mside on its diamond. In game one, the Lancers cruised 10-0 and secured a 5-1 game two victory with a three-run seventh. Morningside’s penchant for home runs has gained the attention of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ statistics. Their 16 round-trippers are 58th-highest, led by Nixon, whose six rank among the nation’s individual first 70. Other strong digit rankings are 52nd in staff earned run average (2.81) and 69th in team batting average (.309). The pitching mark is buoyed by four shutouts from Buffington, which stand 44th-highest, and the batting numbers are charged by five individuals averaging .300 or higher. Junior Camry Moore continues to be a Swiss Army knife for Concordia. She leads the offense, hitting .463 with 29 RBI. Her pitching successes have also been stellar. Moore has a 12-7 record with 106 strikeouts and 15 complete games. Morningside begins a 10-game road trip Friday, April 15. The Mustangs face off against Doane University at DU’s Ballfield Complex in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.