Softball | 3/6/2010 12:00:00 AM
Wichita, Kan. – A five run fifth inning powered the Morningside College Mustangs past the McPherson College softball team, 6-3, Saturday afternoon at the Friends University Tournament in Wichita, Kan. The loss drops McPherson to 2-2 on the season and 0-2 in the tournament.
For the second game in a row McPherson took a one-run lead into the late innings to see it disappear. A pair of walks and a wild pitch gave the Mustangs runners on second and third with just one out. A fielder’s choice retired the next hitter, but things fell apart after that. Two Bulldog errors, a passed ball and a wild pitch propelled Morningside to a five running inning and what proved to be an insurmountable 6-2 lead.
The Bulldogs showed signs of life in the bottom of the inning. Junior Ashley Toepfer and sophomore Haley Kinney shot singles through the infield before freshman Kelsey Dutton worked a walk to load the bases with no outs. Senior centerfielder Kristen Ozbun took advantage of the opportunity by driving in a run on a fielder choice to the third baseman. However, MC could not sustain the moment as a strikeout and two hard liners found the gloves of the Mustang infielders.
Ashley Luthye paced the offense with two RBIs, as the Bulldogs were only able to muster four hits.
Katie Logan (1-2) took the loss, allowing six runs (three earned) in four and two-thirds innings, including five walks and three strikeouts.
Morningside opened the game with a run in the first, but both sides went cold over the next two innings.
The Bulldogs began to show signs of life in the bottom of the fourth as Ozbun walked to open the inning and third basemen Kristen Dargy threw the ball away trying to throw out the speedy Logan on a bunt attempt. The error moved Ozbun to third with no outs. After a Logan stolen base, Luthye drilled a single into right-center, scoring both runners and giving MC its first lead, 2-1.
Despite the momentum from the inning, McPherson surrendered five runs in the top of the fifth to fall 6-3.
