A 10-3 loss against Midland eliminated the Mustangs from the GPAC Baseball Championship tournament.

Adam Smith

Morningside’s baseball season came to an end with a 10-3 loss against Midland in a Friday elimination round game of the GPAC Baseball Championship tournament in Mitchell, S.D.

The Mustangs ended the season with a record of 27-25.

The Warriors put the game away early with three-run innings in each of the first two innings to take a 6-0 lead. Morningside trailed 10-1 before it scored two runs in the top of the ninth.

Adam Smith, who had four hits earlier in the day against Mount Marty, had three more hits with a double and two singles. The Mustangs also had multiple hit performances from Cole Halgerson with a double and single and Jacob Lamoreux and Cole Chapin, each with two singles.

The Mustangs began Friday’s play with an 18-10 victory against Mount Marty.

Nate Clark

Morningside took control of the game early when it scored 10 runs in the bottom of the second inning after the Lancers had taken a 4-0 lead in the top half of the frame. Seven of the Mustangs’ 15 hits in the contest came in the second inning, including a three-run double by Adam Smith and a two-run double by Nate Clark. Blake Meacham and Eric Salmonson each had RBI singles during the inning and Meacham drove in another run when he walked with the bases loaded.

The Mustangs padded their advantage with one run in the fourth inning, four in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh. The four-run fifth featured a two-run single by Clark and a RBI double by Cole Halgerson.

Smith and Clark were the most productive hitters in the Mustangs’ lineup. Smith went four-for-six with a double and three RBIs, while Clark drove in four runs with a double and single. The Mustangs also had multiple hit performances from Halgerson with a pair of doubles, Jacob Lamoreux with a double and single, and Meacham with two singles.

Morningside pitchers Greg Scott, Alex Groth, and Derek Frahm allowed 11 hits and combined for one walk and five strikeouts. Groth was credited with the victory after he pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits with no walks and no strikeouts.