MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE GAM E DAY - APR I L 7, 2021
MUSTANG SOFTBALL A set of back-to-back home Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheaders is on this weekend’s Morningside College agenda. The Tigers of Doane University and the Flames of the College of Saint Mary visit the Jensen Family Softball Complex Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and 11. Head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann’s Mustangs have won 14 in a row and stand two victories away from the program’s 19th all-time 30-wins-ormore campaign before the four-game home set.
THE MATCH-UP Doane and the Maroon have split the last three season editions, as Morningside holds a 22-9 all-time advantage. Mside has won 18 of the 20 all-time meetings against CSM, including five straight. The Mustangs continued the program’s longest winning streak since 2016 with Hastings College’s sweep on April 1. A pair of big-run innings helped lift the nation’s No. 16-ranked team. Keeping a one-game lead on the GPAC standings, the Mustangs busted up a 2-2 tie in the opener at HC’s Smith Softball Complex. Junior Morgan Nixon’s two-run home run in the top of the seventh highlighted a three-run outburst to ensure a come-from-behind 5-2 victory. It was the same recipe to success in the nightcap for Jones-Sitzmann’s squad. Trailing 3-2 after three frames, the Maroon compiled five in the fourth due to three Bronco errors and a two-run bomb off the bat of junior outfielder Ellie Cropley. Sophomore Lisa Bolton and senior Alex Nelson benefitted from the offense’s penchant for rallies late last week. Bolton fired a complete-game, two-strikeout effort in the nightcap, working around three earned runs. Nelson, assisting junior starter Katherine Wurtz in game one, proved nearly unhittable again. She surrendered just one home team hit and struck out
three over three frames, running her current streak of scoreless innings to 19 and a third. Three Morningside numbers are part of the conference’s best five through 31 games. Nixon’s 1.58 RBI per outing lead the way; Nelson and Bolton are four-five in lowest opponent batting average (.194/.210), and Bolton’s 1.26 earned run average is second-lowest. The Mustangs also have several totals that play well nationally. The team is third in doubles (66) and fourth in home runs per appearance (1.226). Individually, Nixon is among the first five in the country in total RBI (49), third in total bases (89), and fourth in runs-batted-in per outing and home runs (12). Cropley (15 doubles – No. 4) and senior infielder Lexie Stolen (11 home runs – No. 5) are also in the same territory. Junior infielder Bre Tjebben was the second Mustangs’ studentathlete to garner GPAC Player of the Week honors with the March 29-April 4 selection. She joins Stolen in being recognized. Tjebben bashed a home run during a key midweek sweep of Concordia University on March 30, which helped move her season average over .300. She registered her fourth and fifth multiple-hit outings over the last 11 games played during the span, too. Morningside begins six in a row on the road with a trip to Madison, S.D., to take on Dakota St. Tuesday, April 13.
TIGER TALES Head coach Jordan Olson’s team sported a 17-14 overall and 4-2 league record going into the week. Sophomore utility player Alicia Vint and freshman catcher Kayla Miller top the offense to date with .371 and .363 batting averages. Miller and sophomore Shelby Downard, one of DU’s five pitching options, make up a strong battery and a hard-nosed offensive combination. They’ve each hit four home runs and combined for 15 doubles and 40 RBI. Junior Josie Schnackenberg and Downard are one-two in pitching victories (nine and six). Schnakenberg’s 100 strikeouts are second-most in the conference. Downard has been just as tough on opposing offenses with 64 Ks.
FLAMES FACTS Sophomore infielder/pitcher Mickayla Larsen’s .436 batting average and .614 slugging percentage were at the front of the class for head coach Carolyn Bray’s College of Saint Mary’s offense before a twin bill against Hastings on April 10. Her .511 on-base percentage also topped the team. Senior pitcher/ infielder Abby Straight had been another power source for Bray’s bunch, which stood 5-16 overall and 0-6 in the conference, belting three home runs and five doubles to help drive in a squad-best 12 RBI. In the circle, Straight produced five wins and 39 strikeouts to lead the Flames’ four-person staff. Larsen was second with 32 Ks, while she and Straight both had fired two complete games.
MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS O. N 00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22
NAME Sydney Gesink Mackenna Sidzyik Ellie Cropley Mykel Gray Josie Baxter Carrington Entringer Mia Barozzo Katherine Wurtz Sydney Struve Carson Cameron Lexie Stolen Brittany Turnquist Hope Rose Brooke Haage Micki Twedell Morgan Nixon Ashlyn McMillen Katie Murphy Kennedee Jones Ashton Whited Taylor Richter
YR. POS. So. INF R/R Fr. INF R/R Jr. OF L/L Jr. UT L/L Jr. OF L/L Jr. OF L/L Fr. UT R/R Jr. UT L/L Fr. UT R/R Sr. OF R/R Sr. INF R/R So. OF R/R Fr. C R/R Fr. IF R/R So. OF L/L Jr. INF R/R Fr. UT R/R So. C R/R Fr. IF L/L Sr. C R/R So. INF R/R
HOMETOWN Sioux Center, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Sioux City, Iowa Ames, Iowa Lincoln, Neb. Baltic, S.D./Baltic Santa Paula, Calif. Omaha, Neb. Granville, Iowa Herman, Neb. Sioux City, IA Alta, Iowa South Sioux City, Neb. LeMars, Iowa Sioux Falls, S.D. Omaha, Neb. Blair, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D. Ankeny, Iowa Elkhorn, Neb. Rock Valley, Iowa
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 45
Breanna Tjebben Alyx Curran-Lewis Makenna Bonneau Alex Nelson Holly Severance Emma Christensen Justine Lovato Halleigh Kokenge Emily Thompson Cara Forsblom Vanessa Bohuslavsky Madison Treiber Jess Walker Kailani Peru Andi Hays Rylee Olson Tori Misiaszek Sydney Petersen Lisa Bolton
Jr. So. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. So. So. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. So. So. So.
INF OF UT P IF UT OF OF INF OF UT P/OF INF UT P/OF INF UT IF P
R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R
Fort Dodge, Iowa Plattsmouth, Neb. Lincoln, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D. Las Vegas, Nev. Sergeant Bluff, Iowa Colorado Springs, Colo. Sioux Falls, S.D. Brandon, S.D. Cedar Falls, Iowa David City, Neb. Vermillion, S.D. Plattsmouth, Neb. Colorado Springs, Colo. Elkhorn, Neb. Hardwick, Minn. Mitchell, S.D. Omaha, Neb. American Canyon, Calif.
Head coach: Jessica Jones-Sitzmann Assistant coaches: Mackenzie Neely, Brooke Lyman, Mara Amsberry
COLLEGE OF ST. MARY O. N 1 3 4 5 6 7/11 8 9 10 12 13 14 16
NAME Maddie Nekola Marissa McGargill Chloe Jensen Taelar Solano Ashley Trendle Laurin Miller Macy Homes McKenzie Chappell Izzy Monzon Angelina Scott Gabby Hoglund Savannah Schewe Logan Joens
YR. POS. Jr. OF R/R Jr. OF R/R Sr. OF B/R Sr. OF R/R Sr. C/3B R/R Fr. OF R/R So. C/3B R/R So. OF L/L So. OF L/R Fr. Ut/P R/R Sr. 3B/C R/R Fr. IF R/R Fr. IF R/R
HOMETOWN Bellevue, Neb. Papillion, Neb. Saint Francis, Minn. Omaha, Neb. Chicago, Ill. Bennington, Neb. Wahoo, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Lincoln, Neb. Blair, Neb. Bethel, Minn. Elkhorn, Neb. Neola, Iowa
17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Kendall Reed Ashley Rising Rylee Scholl Abby Straight Mickayla Larsen Emma Hofmaier Abby Kemmetmueller Morgan Ethen Isabella Shull Alexis Howe Paige Stuck
Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Fr.
P/IF 1B IF P/1B P/1B IF OF OF IF C/OF C/2B
R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R L/R R/R R/R R/R L/L
Tabor, Iowa Lincoln, Neb. Falls City, Neb. Logan, Iowa Waverly, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Albertville, Minn. Omaha, Neb. Turin, Iowa La Vista, Neb. Bellevue, Neb.
Head coach: Carolyn Todd Bray Assistant coaches: Jodi Schaefer, Ryan Glatter, Amber Schubert, Chad Bray
DOANE UNIVERSITY O. NAME N POS. 1 Ashley Jacobson P R/R 2 Kailyn Wiseman OF R/R 4 Amber Lyons C R/R 5 Jade Hill INF L/R 7 Angelina Esqueda INF R/R 8 Jadyn Hunt OF L/L 10 Morgan Queen OF R/R 11 Blaire Edeal UTIL R/R 12 Sarah Theiler P/UTIL R/R 14 Emily Haines P R/R 15 Brea Murnan P R/R 16 MacKenzie Hurst-Munden C/INF R/R 17 Haley Kennedy INF L/R
YR. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr.
HOMETOWN Omaha, Neb. Sutton, Neb. Canyon Lake, Calif. San Diego, Calif. Las Vegas, Nev. Elkhorn, Neb. Salina, Kan. Lexington, Neb. Arlington, Neb. Folsom, Calif. Omaha, Neb. Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln, Neb.
18 Megan Elliott INF R/R Fr. Simi Valley, Calif. 19 Josie Schnakenberg P R/R Jr. Wahoo, Neb. 21 Anna Ganzel INF R/R Fr. Springfield, Neb. 22 Kayla Miller C R/R Fr. Yuciapa, Calif. 23 Shelby Downard P R/R So. Marysville, Kan. 25 Kierney Skiles OF R/R Fr. Gretna, Neb./ 27 Alicia Vint UTIL L/R So. Onalaska, Wash. 29 Payton Cooley UTIL R/R Fr. Omaha, Neb. 30 Jayden Young C R/R Fr. Iowa City, Iowa 32 Cecily Kaluza P R/R Jr. Vallejo, Calif. 34 Amanda Insalaco OF R/R Fr. Spanish Fork, Utah Head coach: Jordan Olson Assistant coaches: Kelsey Bernhardt, Erin Skinner
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