WICHITA FALLS, Texas - No. 2 Midwestern State battled Central Oklahoma to a Lone Star Conference North Division twin bill split Saturday afternoon at Mustangs Park.

MSU ran its season record to 40-6 and maintain a three-game lead in the loss column over Southeastern Oklahoma in the LSC North Division race at 9-2. The Bronchos wet to 23-19 and 6-8.

The teams complete the three-game weekend set with a single game Sunday afternoon at Mustangs Park. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

Game 1: Midwestern State 2, Central Oklahoma 0

Midwestern State's Alyson Reynolds belted a two-run homer over the left field fence in the second inning to lift the Mustangs to a 2-0 win over Central Oklahoma in Game 1 Saturday afternoon.

It was Reynolds' sixth homer of the season and third in her last seven games as the Mustangs were able to string two of their three hits in the same inning as junior third baseman Mallory Mooney singled up the middle before moving plate ward on Reynolds' blast.

Senior pitcher Brittney Tanner delivered her 11th shutout of the season by allowing four runs while notching five strikeouts to move to 24-4 on the season, but owed the victory to a great defensive play by left fielder Nicki Duff in the top of the third inning.

Central Oklahoma's Brittany Geter reached on a single up the middle, advance to second on a sacrifice bunt then to third on Hannah Justus' one-out infield single.

Duff then positioned herself under Kaycee Raines' fly to medium left field and fired a strike to cut down Geter at the plate to end the Bronchos' lone threat of the game as UCO managed just two base runners over the final four frames.

Bronchos' starter Rachael Steverson took the loss to fall to 9-10 allowed two runs on three hits in four innings of work before giving way to Amanda McClelland who retired six consecutive batters in two innings of relief.

Duff accounted for Midwestern's only other hit of the game on a one-out single to center field in the third inning.

Game 2: Central Oklahoma 2, Midwestern State 1 (8 innings)

Central Oklahoma's Carly Skinner atoned for losing a fly ball in the sun by throwing out the possible winning run at the plate as the Bronchos rallied to claim a 2-1 win over Midwestern State in the nightcap Saturday afternoon at Mustangs Park.

MSU junior third baseman Mallory Mooney's high pop-up to right field alluded Skinner putting the winning run in scoring position with one out, then right fielder gunned down pinch runner Megan Chartier at the plate on a Kim Jerrick single to push the game into extra innings tied at 1-1.

Megan Whitmire delivered a two-out double to left field to give Midwestern starter Kristina Gutierrez just her second loss of the season as the senior right-hander fell to 16-2.

Gutierrez cruised through the first 13 batters of the game before an inside pitched apparently brushed Brittany Weaver's jersey to give UCO its first base runner of the contest.

Hannah Justus followed with a well-placed infield single to shortstop to end the Gutierrez's bid for a second no-hitter this season, and then Weaver came around to score on Brittany Geter's high chopper over the left side of the infield to knot the game 1-1.

Gutierrez would allow just two runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk to match her longest outing of the season by working all eight innings, but was unable to hold an early MSU advantage.

Senior shortstop McKenzie Sickler roped a leadoff double to the left-field gap in the bottom of the third inning then scored on Courtney Bingham's RBI single to center field.

The Mustangs constructed a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth inning as Mooney roped her third double of the day to right center and Kim Jerrick drew a walk before UCO reliever Rachael Steverson induced Alyson Reynolds to tap a game ending grounder back to the pitcher.

Steverson evened her season record at 10-10 weaving three scoreless innings of relief while allowing three hits with one strikeout and two walks.

Mooney led the Mustangs' six-hit attack by going 2-for-4 with her 15th and 16th two baggers of the season.

Notables

• Midwestern State leads its all-time series against Central Oklahoma 21-16, but the Bronchos have won nine of the last 15.
• MSU senior pitcher Brittney Tanner matched Katie Petersen's single season school record of 11 shutouts set in 2008 and needs three more to tie Southeastern Oklahoma's Starla Payne (2000) Christina Cearley (2003) for the Lone Star Conference single season record of 14 shutouts.
• Midwestern State junior third baseman Mallory Mooney connected for three doubles in Saturday's twin bill and now has 16 this season. She is currently tied for third on MSU's single season list with Kristen Stonecipher (2006) and trails only teammate Courtney Bingham (19, 2010) and Maranda Bishop (17, 2009).
• MSU senior first baseman Alyson Reynolds connected for her sixth homer of the season and now has hit three bombs in her last seven games. Reynolds is fourth on Midwestern's all-time home runs list with 17 behind Rachael Jackson (28 from 2004-06), Kristen Stonecipher (26 from 2005-08) and Jessica Rodriguez (22 from 2006-09).
• Midwestern State senior pitcher Kristina Gutierrez notched 10 strikeouts against Central Oklahoma on Saturday and now has 10-or-more strikeouts in nine of her 21 starts.