TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Katie Petersen proved lethal in the circle and in the batter's box as the senior hurler lifted No. 7 Midwestern State to a 7-1 win over Northeastern State in Game 1 Tuesday afternoon at Riverhawks Park.

Sophomore third baseman Mallory Mooney returned from a 18-game, injury-induced absence to drill a three-run homer to seal the deal in the top of the seventh inning.

Petersen won her 20th-straight decision to improve to 21-2 while allowing an earned run on four hits.

She also moved closer to LSC all-time strikeout leader Maria Gutierrez, who posted 852 strikeouts from 1999-02. Petersen added 12 more Ks to her total and now has 815 career strikeouts.

The Mustangs surged out to an early 2-0 lead on the strength of Lauren Craig's two-run double in the first inning. It was the reigning North Division Hitter of the Week's eighth-straight game with an RBI.

But Northeastern State starter Lacee Craig, who fell to 3-14 after allowing seven runs - all earned - on 11 hits in the complete game, held the Mustangs scoreless over the next four innings.

The RiverHawks cut the lead in half after Cayce Coleman worked her way around the bases after a lead off walk and finally scored on Kylie Morton's single to right field to cut the MSU lead to 2-1.

Petersen kept NSU in check before launching her first homer of the season over the left-field fence in the top of the sixth inning to push the Mustangs lead to 4-1.

A two-out single by Brittney Tanner ignited a three-run in the seventh culminated by Mooney's sixth homer of the season - a three-run bomb to left field.

Mooney, who was 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, missed the previous 18 games with a leg injury.