Morningside upset York 4-3 in the opener to gain a split with the sixth-ranked Panthers in Wednesday’s baseball doubleheader in York, Neb.

Morningside upset York 4-3 in the opener to gain a split with the sixth-ranked Panthers in Wednesday’s baseball doubleheader in York, Neb.

The Mustangs almost completed a sweep of the twinbill when they took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap before York rallied to win the game 5-4 in eight innings.

The split left the Mustangs with a record of 10-12.

Morningside scored the deciding run in the top of the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie in the opener. The rally started with two outs and nobody on base when David Foley reached base on an infield single to keep the inning alive. Foley advanced to second base on a wild pitch and came home when Cole Chapin delivered a RBI single.

The Mustangs had tied the score at 3-3 in the top of the sixth when Nate Clark led off the inning with a home run.

Morningside scored its first two runs in the fourth inning when Chapin singled, went to third on a double by Clark, and scored on a groundout by Jacob Lamoreux. Clark scored later in the inning on a double by David Badalucco.

Morningside had nine hits in the opener, including a home run and double by Clark. Chapin, Foley, and Adam Smith each had two singles and Badalucco had a double.

Mustang pitchers Derek Appley, Doug Vanecek, Kenny Namanny, and John Sorenson combined to allow six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Appley, the Mustangs’ starter, limited the Panthers to one run on four hits over the first four innings. He walked one and struck out four. Vanecek allowed two unearned runs on two hits in a two-inning relief stint to get the win. Sorenson got the last two outs in the bottom of the seventh to notch his fourth save of the season.

Morningside took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap before the Panthers rallied with two outs and nobody on base. York had four consecutive singles, the last a two-run hit by Rudy Perez that tied the score.

The Mustangs regained the lead in the top of the eighth inning when Badalucco led off with a single and came home when Foley bounced into a RBI fielder’s choice.

York rallied again in the bottom of the eighth and tied the score at 4-4 on a sacrifice fly by Chris Bottini and scored the game winner on a two-out single by Jordan Pella.

Badalucco was the big hitter in the Morningside offense and supplied three of the team’s nine hits with a double and two singles. Eric Salmonson had a RBI single in the fourth inning and Clark, Chapin, Foley, A.J. Staiert, and Blake Meacham also had hits.

Mustang pitchers Derek Frahm, Lance Spongberg, Sorenson, and Nick Weeter combined to allow five runs on 11 hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Frahm gave the Mustangs a solid start by holding the Panthers to one run on three hits over the first four innings. He struck out six of the 16 batters he faced.

The Mustangs will play their home opener with a noon game against Jamestown College on Sunday.

Game One Box

Game Two Box