Mullen Drops Heartbreaker in Softball Seasonal Opener

Coach Manu was proud of the girls after they fought hard to hold a lead that was theirs for most of the 7-inning season opener for both the Mustangs and the Rangers of Lewis Palmer.  Mullen struck early pushing two runs across the plate in the bottom of the 1st-inning with back-to-back singles by Stewart and Hurtado and assistance by the Rangers with two throwing errors.  The Mustangs would maintain that 2-run lead until the Rangers were able to knot it all up in the top of the 3rd-inning.  That tie was short lived when in the bottom of the inning Mullen answered with two runs on a single and stolen base by Stewart, an on base by error by Hurtado, and a triple by Slucki.  That lead looked like it was going to be enough for the Mustangs as Bayla Slucki, who went the distance in the circle for Mullen, was able to keep the Ranger batters off-balance at every turn, and the Mustang defense, time-and-again, made clutch plays in the field.  It took the Rangers up to what appeared to be their final out of the game when they struck with 3-runs to take a 5-4 lead over the Mustangs.  Mullen was unable to score in the bottom of the 7th to fall short in an electrifying home opener.