Kansas Wesleyan's softball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader to No. 20-ranked Morningside on Tuesday.
The Mustangs won the first game 8-0 and the second 12-0, both in five innings, at wind-swept Bill Burke Park.
Morningside improved to 18-3 overall and is 8-0 against Kansas Conference opponents, having also swept doubleheaders from McPherson, Bethel and Bethany.
The Mustangs took an early 7-0 lead in the first game, scoring three runs in the first inning and four in the second – three on a home run by Morgan Nixon, who had five RBI in the first two innings.
Relief pitcher Valaree Reyes (JR/Round Rock, Texas) entered the game in the second inning for KWU and limited Morningside to one run on two hits with two strikeouts the final 3.1 innings. The Mustangs scored their final run in the fifth inning Lexie Stolen's homer.
The Coyotes had four hits – singles by Kiana Turner (SO/Quapaw, Okla.), Elizabeth Willison (FR/Moore, Okla.), Lauren Blue (SR/Arlington, Texas) and Sydney Brown (JR/Tucson, Ariz.) – off Morningside starter Katherine Wurtz, who went four innings. Alex Nelson pitched the fifth inning.
Starting pitcher Conally Webb (JR/Royse City, Texas) took the loss.
Morningside took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the second game on Ellie Cropley's home run, added seven runs in the third and four more in the fourth.
KWU threatened in the third inning when Miranda Guerrero (SO/Oxnard, Calif.) led off with a single and went to third on Blue's double, but the Coyotes couldn't break through against Morningside pitcher Lisa Bolton, who went the distance.
KWU had three hits in the game – the first a third-inning single by Willison.
Reyes started and pitched three innings. Carmen Angulo (JR/Long Beach, Calif.) relieved and worked the fourth and fifth innings.
The Coyotes (5-7) are scheduled to play in the McPherson Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The next home games are March 18 against Concordia, starting at 2 p.m.
--kwucoyotes.com--