SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Sophomore pitcher Lisa Bolton (SO/American Canyon, CA) (American Canyon, Calif.) had an afternoon to write home about Sunday, April 11.

Bolton came out of the bullpen in the opener at Jensen Family Softball Complex and fired a one-two-three eighth inning to ensure a come-from-behind home team victory. It was more of the same in the nightcap, as she allowed only two hits and struck out three to gain her third shutout and sixth complete game of the year.

Head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmanns squad, moving their current win streak to 18 behind a 5-4, eight-inning thriller and an 8-0, six-inning triumph, had enough offense to back up their sophomore standout. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics No. 14-ranked team was backed into a corner in the opener. CSM senior Abby Straight managed to dance around seven walks and a hit batter over six innings in which the Maroon gathered just one hit, while the Flames offense hammered a pair of home runs to take a 4-0 lead. However, being as resilient as the program has been known to be, the Mustangs plated four in the seventh, spotlighted by a two-run single off the bat of junior outfielder Ellie Cropley (JR/Sioux City, IA) (Sioux City, Iowa), to send the contest into extra innings. Mside gave the home crowd more to cheer about in the bottom of the eighth, as singles from junior infielder Morgan Nixon (JR/Omaha, NE) (Omaha, Neb.) and sophomore infielder Sydney Petersen (SO/Omaha, Neb.) (Omaha, Neb.) coupled with a wild pitch sent the winning run across home plate.

Msides offense took the momentum from its five-run final two innings first game rally into the second match-up. Senior outfielder Carson Cameron (SR/Herman, NE) (Herman, Neb.) laced a run-scoring single and double; senior infielder Lexie Stolen (SR/Sioux City, IA) mashed a solo home run; and junior catcher Mykel Gray (JR/Ames, IA) (Ames, Iowa) singled in a tally to give the Mustangs a 6-0 advantage after three. Cameron and Nixon wound up the outing with two RBI each, and Cropley turned in two hits.

The Mustangs begin six in a row on the road Tuesday, April 13. They travel to Madison, S.D., to face North Star Athletic Association foe Dakota State University at 3 p.m.