Mt. Mercy Softball

Mustangs ousted from Heart softball

The Mount Mercy Mustangs lost to Benedictine, 4-1, in the losers  bracket of the Heart of America Conference softball tournament Friday at Busse Field and were ousted from the postseason event.

Mount Mercy compiled a 2-2 record in the tournament and finished in fourth place. The Mustangs ended their season with a 32-22 record.

Benedictine lost to Grand View in the losers bracket finals Friday after topping Mount Mercy. Grand View will face Baker in the  championship round Saturday of the double-elimination tournament.

Baker and Grand View have both clinched spots in the NAIA national  tournament, regardless of who wins the conference title.

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Mustangs have Heart, reach Final 4

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.

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Mustangs stay alive in Heart softball

The Mount Mercy Mustangs got off to a slow start in the Heart of  America Conference softball tournament at Busse Field Wednesday  morning, but they rebounded nicely Wednesday night to stay alive.

Mount Mercy lost to Culver-Stockton, 8-0, in the first game of the  tournament Wednesday morning in just five innings, but the Mustangs  bounced back with a 2-0 victory over William Penn in the losers  bracket on a three-hit shutout by Jayna Witzany.

Mount Mercy (31-21) will face Grand View or Central Methodist in an  elimination game Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Jess Heick went 2-for-3 for the Mustangs in the 2-0 victory over  William Penn. Payton Bruner collected a double and an RBI.

Olivia Brees of Baker pitched a perfect game with 14 strikeouts in a  5-0 victory over William Penn in the first round.

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Mustangs hosting Heart softball tournament

The Mount Mercy Mustangs have defeated every team in the Heart of America Conference softball tournament that's being conducted this week at least once this season.

On the flip side, the Mustangs have lost at least one game to nearly every team in the field (everyone except Benedictine).

Mount Mercy is hosting the league championships at Busse Field this Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. As luck would have it, the Mustangs (30-20) will be playing Culver-Stockton (30-19) in the very first game of the tournament Wednesday morning at 9:30.

“Honestly, it’s wide open,” Mount Mercy Coach Larry Yoder said Tuesday. “Anybody can win it.”

Baker University (41-7) is the No. 1 seed after winning the regular-season title. Grand View (41-8) is the No. 2 seed, putting them at the head of the class.

“Baker would be the favorite because they have the All-American pitcher, and she’s awfully tough,” said Yoder. “And they have a good offensive team, too.

“But they’ve been beaten five times this year (in conference games,” he said. “We actually beat them by the eight-run rule, but the All-American did not pitch that game. And she’s going to pitch every game of this tournament.”

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