ADA, Okla. - Jessica Rodriguez blasted a pair of home runs to lift Midwestern State to a 5-3 win over East Central in Game 1 Monday afternoon at Lady Tigers Field.

The senior first baseman from Houston has needed just 27 games to connect for nine homers - which is the second most behind Racheal Jackson, who hit 12 in 2005.

But the Mustangs needed more than Rodriguez's solo shots to overcome East Central which also used the long ball to knot the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when Desiree' Nordie stroked a two-run bomb down the left field line.

Rodriguez hit her seventh homer of the season to lead off the second inning before MSU got back-to-back triples from Maranda Bishop and Nicki Duff to lead off the third inning.

After Nordie's equalizing shot, Midwestern struck for three runs in the bottom of the fifth as Rodriguez followed Tabitha Yannetti's two-run homer down the left-line with a her second round-tripper of the game to give the Mustangs back-to-back jacks and a commanding 5-3 lead.

Brittney Tanner claimed a win in her second-straigh start to improve to 9-3. The sophomore from Burkburnett allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

Bishop and Rodriguez paced MSU's nine-hit attack with two hits each.

Midwestern improved to 19-8 on the season and 6-3 in the Lone Star Conference North Division, while East Central slipped to 9-15 and 2-11.