V-Hawks Suffer Road Losses to Mustangs

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Viterbo University Softball team lost a pair of games on the road to Mount Mercy University (Iowa) on Wednesday afternoon, 9-3 and 5-4. The V-Hawks fall to 6-27 on the year, while the Mustangs improve to 17-17.

The V-Hawks had a strong start to the first game, as Marissa Carter-Olson's sacrifice fly scored Makayla Nortman, and Morgan James' single brought home Sydney Haakenson. However, the Mustangs would respond in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single and a grand slam. After an Amanda Bogdonovich single in the top of the third, Mount Mercy extended their lead to 7-2 on an RBI single, followed by an RBI double. In the top of the fifth, the V-Hawks got on the board after Haakenson reached on a single, and James's single batter her in. MMU had the final say, following back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth for the final, 9-2.

Nortman and Bogdonovich each had three hits, while James posted a pair of RBIs. Five different mustangs recorded two hits. Alexis Watson recorded the loss (4-11), while Leeann VandeVoorde earned the win.

Mount Mercy started the second game with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first, and added a sacrifice fly to go up 2-0. After leaving three runners on in the second, Haakenson and James each recorded RBIs in the third to tie the game at 2-2. Mount Mercy went back ahead in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double, and added a single run in the fourth and fifth innings as well. Nortman chipped away at the lead, as she brought in Courtney Denton and Makella Jacobs in the sixth. James doubled in the top of the seventh, but the tying run would stay there, Viterbo falling 5-4.

James led Viterbo with two hits, and Nortman had two RBIs. Calli Janik went 4-of-4 for the Mustangs. Nortman recorded the loss (0-4), while Kalli Minger (W, 6-10) earned the win.

The V-Hawks return to action at home Saturday and Sunday in a series with Dakota State University (SD).