EDMOND, Okla. -- Central Oklahoma's Brooke Zukerman's grand slam delivered two crucial blows to No. 19-ranked Midwestern State Wednesday afternoon at Broncho Field.
 
First, it capped off a five-run inning allowing the 16th-ranked Bronchos to escape with an 11-8 win while sending the Mustangs to their third consecutive loss.
 
Even more crucial, it cost MSU the services of senior center fielder Elena Bennett as the All-America center field suffered a broken leg while scaling the fence in an attempt to make a play on the ball.
 
The four-year starter is MSU's all-time batting average leader (.396) and tops the runs list (174). Bennett is also the club's all-time steals leader (124) and is five hits shy of matching another former All-American -- Kristen Stonecipher -- as the Mustangs' all-time leader in hits at 265.
 
The slated second game of the planned doubleheader was canceled following the injury.
 
Midwestern erased a pair of deficits in its fourth consecutive contest against nationally ranked opposition and did it in familiar fashion -- via the long ball.
 
Sophomore third baseman Kelley Schaefer ripped her seventh homer of the season on a three-run blast in the fifth inning before senior second baseman Carey Campbell an RBI double down the left-field line to knot the game 4-4 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
 
But the Bronchos countered with back-to-back jacks by Nicole Workman and Hayley Hudson to regain a 6-4 lead.
 
Midwestern battled back with singles by Courtney Bingham and Schaefer to lead off the top of the seventh before Katelyn Vinson delivered a run-scoring single and Christina Roosmalen followed with a three-run shot to left field to give the Mustangs an 8-6 lead.
 
MSU freshman Laci Belovsky came on to shutdown the Bronchos in the bottom of the inning, but a pair of infield errors allowed UCO to extend the inning for Zukerman's bases loaded, two-out blast over the center field fence.
 
Belovsky took the loss for the Mustangs to fall to 13-4 on the season. She allowed five unearned run on three in 2/3 innings.
 
Midwestern starter Kat Batey allowed six runs - all earned - on 10 hits in six innings of work.
 
Bennett paced the Mustangs' 12-hit attack going 3-for-5 with a run scored while Schaefer, Roosmalen and Campbell had two hits each.
 
Midwestern returns to Lone Star Conference play with a three-game set against Angelo State (Texas) this weekend at Mustangs Park. The teams play a single Friday night at 7 p.m. then square off in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon.
 
Central Oklahoma improved to 18-5 on the season.