SAN ANTONIO -- Incarnate Word cashed on three Midwestern State errors to come away with a 6-5 win in the Lone Star Conference series opener Thursday night at Cardinals Field.
 
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Mustangs which fell to 23-10 on the season and to 5-5 in league play.
 
MSU jumped on LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Briana Sanchez for two runs on Kaitlyn Vinson's sixth homer of the season in the second inning.
 
Incarnate Word broke through with a run of its own in the bottom frame as Whitney Waltrip led off with a double to left field and was sacrificed to third before scoring on a Kim Hanson's groundout to shortstop.
 
The Mustangs expanded their advantage to 4-1 in the third as junior catcher Kim Jerrick blasted her 12th homer of the season over the left-field fence and Shelby Carter's two-out single to center field plated Haley Howerton, who reached on an infield single.
 
The Cardinals took advantage of MSU's first miscue in the third as Alex Zepeda reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning before coming around to score on Monica Acuna's single to left field to cut the Mustangs' advantage to 4-2.
 
Vinson laced a single into center field to lead off the fourth inning and came around to score on Jerrick's one-out single to left to give MSU a three-run cushion, but the Mustangs left the bases loaded allowing Sanchez to squeeze out of another jam.
 
Hanson highlighted UIW's four-run fourth frame with a homer to left field then the Cardinals plated unearned runs in the fifth and sixth innings to claim their first lead at 6-5 going into the seventh inning.
 
Sanchez (12-6) allowed five runs -- all earned -- on 11 hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in the win, while MSU freshman Laci Belovsky (15-6) took the loss allowing three earned runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
 
Jerrick paced the Mustangs' 11-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two RBIs while Carter, Vinson and freshman Haley Howerton had two hits each.
 
Incarnate Word improved to 21-12 on the season and to 5-5 in LSC play.
 
The teams close the three-game set with a doubleheader on Friday at Cardinals Field. First pitch is slated for noon.