CANYON, Texas -- Midwestern State gave an inch allowing No. 6-ranked Texas Woman's to take softball's version of a mile as the Pioneers plated six unearned runs in a fateful fourth inning to eliminate the Mustangs 10-7 in the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon at Schaeffer Park.
 
MSU (42-15) awaits NCAA Division II postseason selection set for Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. via live video streaming on NCAA.com.
 
The Mustangs appeared to seize control of the game in the bottom of the third as five straight MSU hitters reached base to force an early exit for TWU starter Larisa Garcia.
 
Kim Jerrick and Haley Howerton served back-to-back singles into the outfield before Courtney Bingham lined an RBI-single to right to drive in MSU's first run of the game.
 
Katelyn Vinson followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to plate Howerton to tie the game at 2-2 before Kelley Schaefer drew a walk to load the bases forcing Garcia's departure.
 
Christina Roosmalen greeted TWU reliever Katie Hines with an RBI-single to left field before Vinson scored when Shelby Carter grounded into a double play as the Mustangs carried a 4-2 advantage into the fourth.
 
Texas Woman's Kendra Sancet responded with a ground-rule double to right field as Vinson lost the ball in the sun then MSU starter Laci Belovsky plunked the next batter with a pitch.
 
Belovsky misplayed Ashley Maddox's sacrifice attempt on the next pitch allowing the Pioneers to load the bases with no outs. Still, MSU almost wiggled its way free.
 
Belovsky fanned Haley Colwell looking for the first out then reached out to redirect Bailey Vrazel's liner up the middle directly to Carter, who fired to the plate for the second out.
 
But MSU first baseman Christina Roosmalen couldn't make a play on Amanda Ruiz's slow chopper to first allowing a run to score as the flood gates opened for the Pioneers.
 
The next five hitters reached bases allowing TWU to stretch the lead to 8-4.
 
Hines settled in the circle delivering scoreless frames in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before the Pioneers tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh.
 
MSU rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh with the help of five balks, an RBI-triple by Schaefer and a run-scoring single by Chelsey Wall.
 
Jerrick, Bingham and Vinson paced the Mustangs' 10-hit attack with two hits each, while Belovsky took the loss to fall to 26-7 allowing 10 runs - four earned - on 15 hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
 
Texas Woman's advances to face West Texas A&M in the LSC Postseason Tournament final Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Lady Buffs defeated Angelo State 8-7 in Saturday's other semifinal contest.

Game Notes

• Midwestern State claimed its 400th win since restarting the softball program in 2004 with its 11-5 win over Tarleton State on Friday night. The Mustangs average 40 wins a season.
• Freshman outfielder Katelyn Vinson went 2-for-3 with an RBI to up her LSC leading batting average to .516 which is just single point behind the LSC record of .517 set by East Central Cherene Hiesl in 1997. Vinson is bidding to become just the third LSC player since 1992 to carry a .500 batting through an entire season.
• Vinson became just the second player in MSU history to amass 80 hits in a season when she lashed single through the left-side of the infield in the seventh inning Saturday against Texas Woman's. She needs 11 hits to match Elena Bennett's single season mark set in 2011. Vinson also delivered her 28th multiple-hit game of the season which is second only to Bennett who had 30 in 2011.
• Senior outfielder Courtney Bingham extended her current hitting streak to eight games by going 2-for-4 Saturday against Texas Woman's. She is hitting .467 (14-of-30) during the streak. It was her 79th career multi-hit game which ranks third in MSU program history behind Elena Bennett (82) and Kristen Stonecipher (80).
• Sophomore third baseman Kelley Schaefer drove in her 69th run of the season with a triple down the right-field line in the seventh inning. She is one RBI away from matching the program's single season mark of 70 set by Mallory Mooney in 2011.
• Midwestern State dropped to 19-15 all time in the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament. The Mustangs two tournament championships came in 2006 and 2007.