Scoreboard operators were busy on Thursday as Morrison Mustangs Varsity and Orion combined for 19 runs. The game was back-and-forth heading into the fifth, with six lead changes. The Mustangs eventually won the offensive battle 10-9 in seven innings. The teams totaled 20 hits in the game.
Morrison managed to grab the lead after a strong fifth inning. They went up for good on an RBI single by Joey Brackemyer off Newman, scoring Ben Tegeler. Even though Brackemyer allowed six runs over four innings he still recorded the victory. Brackemyer struck out nine, walked four and gave up four hits. Newman took the loss for Orion. He lasted just three innings, walked two, struck out none, and allowed four runs. Joey Brackemyer improves to 2-0 on the year.
Ryan VanZuiden racked up two RBIs on three hits for the Mustangs. He singled in the first, second, and fifth innings. Morrison Mustangs Varsity jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After Ethan Fischbach singled, the Mustangs kept the pressure on Orion pitching, as VanZuiden singled. Morrison then tacked on more runs when VanZuiden scored on an RBI double by Justin Jensen,
Kennedy, and Sitzmore, scored on a two-run single by Cody Southern.
Orion survived the Mustangs surge and put up five runs of its own in the first. Orion scored on an RBI single by Jones, an error, and a three-run triple by Dahbalt. Orion tied the game in the fourth on a passed ball that scored Diamond. After pushing across three runs in the bottom of the sixth, Orion faced just a 10-9 deficit. A two-run single by Newman and an RBI single by Jones sparked Orion’s rally. The Mustangs stopped the rally after Brock Smith got Schultz to strike out. The Varsity Morrison Mustangs improves to 13-3.