DENTON, Texas - No. 2 Midwestern State salvaged a twin bill split Tuesday afternoon taking the nightcap against Texas Woman's University 7-4 at Pioneer Field.

After falling behind 2-0, the Mustangs rallied for a run in the third inning on a McKenzie Sickler steal of home.

Sicker, who finished 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate, continued to be in the mix when she followed Nicki Duff's run-scoring double with an RBI single to right center to give the Mustangs a 3-2 lead.

Midwestern tacked on three runs on another steal of home - by Mallory Mooney, a Kim Jerrick sacrifice fly and an unearned run to push the lead to 6-2 through five innings.

The Mustangs added a final run in the seventh inning after Elena Bennett led off with a double through the infield and scored on Alyson Reynolds' infield single.

Gutierrez improved to 16-1 allowing four runs - three earned - on eight hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.

But, for the third consecutive game, the Mustangs faced a deficit in the first inning.

TWU leadoff hitter Bailey Vrazel was credited with a double after MSU left fielder Courtney Bingham let the ball deflect off of her right leg allowing the speedster to reach second.

Vrazel stole third for her 56th theft of the season but was caught stealing for the first time this season after being credited with an infield single after a clear fielding miscue by the MSU second base.

TWU's Tiffany Weise drew a one-out walk and stole second before Jordan Readicker drilled an RBI single and advanced to second on an error allowing both runs to score to give the Pioneers the early lead.

The Pioneers scored two more runs in the seventh inning to close the margin to three before Gutierrez fanned Katie Hines to end the game.

The Mustangs improved to 39-5 on the season, while TWU slipped to 24-19.

TWU rallies past Mustangs in Game 1, 3-2

Jordan Readicker's cue shot single to center field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning drove in Bailey Vrazel with the winning run as Texas Woman's University derailed No. 2 Midwestern State in Game 1 Tuesday afternoon at Pioneer Field.

The three runs matched the most runs surrendered in a starter by Brittney Tanner, who fell to 23-4 on the season.

Texas Woman's jumped on Tanner for two runs in the first inning as she Kayla Williams with a pitch before Tiffany Wiese blistered a 1-0 offering over the left-field fence to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.

The Mustangs struck first as Megan Chartier placed a one-out double down the left-field line then scored when Mallory Mooney's two-bagger found the left-field gap in the top of the first.

MSU tied the game in the top of the second when McKenzie Sickler's single up the middle drove in Nicki Duff, who reached on a leadoff single to knot the game at 2-2.

Tanner settled in to allow just four hits while posting nine strikeouts and two walks.

Texas Woman's loaded the bases in the sixth inning on a walk, a hit batsman and a soft single to center field before Readicker delivered the game winning hit.

Williams earned the win for TWU to improve to 9-5 on the season. She allowed two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks.