ATCHISON, Kan. - Tawny Menster of Mount Mercy deserved five stars for  her performance in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday against  Benedictine College.

Menster collected six RBIs and struck out 10 batters as the Mustangs  walloped Benedictine, 18-2, in the opener. Mount Mercy took the  nightcap, 5-3, to sweep the Heart of America Conference twinbill.

Menster was 3-for-5 in the opener with a two-run double, three-run  homer and RBI single for the Mustangs. She also pitched a complete  game, allowing four hits and two runs.

Payton Bruner went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs in the 18-2  victory. Morgan Braughton was also 3-for-4 and scored twice. Jess  Heick, Emily Oler and Michelle Mack had two hits. Jessica Miller,  Heick, Menster and Oler all scored twice. Jaicee Lyons, Sydnee Turner  and Mack had two RBIs.

Mount Mercy scored 10 runs in the sixth inning, turning an 8-2 lead  into an 18-2 blowout.

The Mustangs trailed 3-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning in  the nightcap, but they scored three runs for a 5-3 lead and held on  for the victory. Jolona Shield belted a two-run homer in the top of  the seventh for a 4-3 advantage, then Oler and Mack collected  back-to-back doubles for a key insurance run.

Miller was 3-for-4 in the nightcap. Heick, Shield and Mack had two  hits. Anna Stenberg drove in two runs as a pinch-hitter. Jayna Witzany  was the winning pitcher in relief, tossing 2 1/3 innings of shutout  ball with five strikeouts.

The sweep lifted Mount Mercy to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the  conference. Benedictine fell to 12-10 overall and 4-2 in the league.

GAME 1

Mount Mercy     311 03(10) - 18 20 0
Benedictine     000 020 - 2 4 4

Menster and Miller. Ziebart, Armijo (6) and Splane. W - Menster. L -  Ziebarth. 2B - Menster, Bruner, Mack. HR - Menster. SB - Turner. SF -  Bruner.

GAME 2

Mount Mercy     000 002 3 - 5 12 5
Benedictine     000 210 0 - 3 6 3

Irwin, Witzany (5) and Miller. Gilham, Hoffman (7) and Medhus. W -  Witzany. L - Gilham. 2B - Miller, Mack, Oler. HR - Shield. SB -  Stenberg. SH - Robertson.