Tawny Menster knows her college softball career will end at some point  this month, but she's really glad it did not happen Thursday night.

Menster pitched a complete and the Mount Mercy Mustangs capitalized on  a huge break for a 6-2 victory over Central Methodist in a losers  bracket game in the Heart of America Conference tournament at Busse  Field.

The Mustangs (32-21) have already staved off two elimination games and  they'll try to do it again when they face Benedictine (28-25) Friday  at 2:30 p.m. on Day 3 of the tournament.

Baker (43-7) and Grand View (43-8), a pair of NAIA Top 20 powers, meet  in the winners bracket final Friday at noon. If Mount Mercy beats  Benedictine at 2:30, the Mustangs would face Baker or Grand View in  the losers bracket final Friday at 5 p.m.

The championship round is Saturday.

Mount Mercy trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when they  got the biggest break of the tournament. They had the bases loaded  with two outs, but the threat appeared to be over when pinch-hitter  Jaicee Lyons hit a pop-up right behind second base.

The Central Methodist shortstop settled under the pop-up for the third  out, but the ball popped out of her glove for a two-run error that  gave Mount Mercy a 3-2 lead.

Morgan Braughton followed with a two-run triple into the right-field  corner to make it 5-2, then Payton Bruner lined an RBI single off the  pitcher's leg to score Braughton and make it 6-2, capping a five-run  frame.

Menster (13-5) got the final three outs in the top of the seventh and  the Mustangs reached the Final 4.

Menster, a senior from Olin, knew time was slipping away on her  career, with only a few outs remaining before the Central Methodist  shortstop committed an error that will haunt her for awhile.

"It's not the fact that, 'Oh, we're losing,'" Menster explained. "It's  like leaving a sport, but it's also like leaving my family. That's  going to be hard."

Mount Mercy's hopes sank when Lyons lofted that little fly ball a few  feet behind second base, but they soared again when the shortstop  dropped the ball. Braughton followed with her two-run triple and the  Mustangs were full of life again.

"We've all been there, we all make mistakes," said Braughton, showing  compassion for the shortstop. "We just took advantage of it and hit  the ball like we can."

Braughton, a sophomore from Linn-Mar, called the two-run triple the  biggest hit of her college career. And now the Mustangs are ready for  another do-or-die game on Friday.

"Absolutely," said Braughton. "We're hyped and we're ready to go."

Mount Mercy swept two games from Benedictine during the regular  season, adding to their confidence.

"We have a lot of momentum," said Coach Larry Yoder. "The kids are  full of energy right now. They're rolling and feeling good."

The Mustangs are thrilled to be hosting the conference tournament on  their new field. "It's awesome," said Braughton. "To be able to be  here and have that home advantage and have our fans here, it's awesome."

Bruner went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, including a clutch two-out  RBI single in the fifth inning to make it 2-1. Braughton scored twice  in the game, both times on Bruner base hits.

Central Methodist, the No. 3 seed, finished the season at 31-18.

Central Methodist    000 200 0 - 2 4 1
Mount Mercy          000 015 x - 6 9 0

Cronin, Ousmann (6) and Criswell. Menster and Miller. W - Menster  (13-5). L - Cronin. 3B - Braughton. RBI - Bruner 2, Braughton 2. SB -  Bruner.