Mustangs earn split with Wildcats, fall to Ravens

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The Mount Mercy softball team hosted two of the top teams in the Heart of America Athletic Conference this weekend, earning a doubleheader split with Baker on Friday before dropping a pair of league games to Benedictine on Saturday at Busse Field.

The Mustangs could only muster five hits against Wildcat all-American Kira Baker in Friday's opener, a 6-0 victory for the visitors. Sam Lee collected two of those hits, including a double. Keily Ulatowski was 1-for-2 and Annika Headington and Abbey Smith finished 1-for-3. Kalli Minger allowed 10 hits and four earned runs with three strikeouts.

Game two was a mirror image of the first, except this time it was Mount Mercy's Alyssa McElvain shutting down the Baker lineup in a 6-0 win for the home team. She limited the Wildcats (23-9, 8-4 Heart) to five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Lee went 2-for-3 with a two-run double and RBI single. Ulatowski also collected a pair of hits as Sarah Heick and Rylee Goodfellow each drove in a run.

Thanks to RBI singles by Allie Poston and Abbey Smith, Mount Mercy had a 2-1 lead at the midway point of Saturday's opener against Benedictine, but the Ravens took the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning and held on for a 6-3 win. Lee continued her strong weekend at the plate, going 2-for-3. Ashley Smith, Poston, and Abbey Smith each drove in a run.

The Mustangs (16-17, 5-7 Heart) took a 5-3 lead into the sixth in game two before the Ravens (32-6, 12-2 Heart) notched a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to defeat Mount Mercy, 6-5. Poston was 2-for-4, Ulatowski homered and drove in two runs. Natalie Tecklenburg finished 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and a double.

Mount Mercy's eight-game homestand continues this week with a non-conference doubleheader against Viterbo on Wednesday at 3:00 pm, followed by a Heart of America matchup with MidAmerica Nazarene on Friday at 4:00 pm at Busse Field.