WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Sophomore shortstop Shelby Carter blasted her fourth homer of the season and drove in four runs to help Midwestern State hold of Tarleton State 8-5 Thursday night in the Lone Star Conference Showcase at Mustangs Park.

It was the Mustangs' fourth straight victory and eighth in the last nine games as they improved to 18-9 on the season while moving to 6-1 in league play.

Carter's three-run shot off of Tarleton State starter Randi Fentress in the third inning staked MSU to an early lead.

The TexAnns struck back for a single run in the bottom of the inning and scored three runs off of three Midwestern errors to stay close to the Mustangs.

But freshman Baylee Voigt drove in the first of her three runs with a run-scoring single to right field to highlight a two-run fifth inning to stretch the MSU lead to 5-1.

Junior third baseman Kelley Schaefer delivered a single up the middle to plate Krisha Hamm in the in the sixth inning to stretch the MSU advantage to 6-4 after the TexAnns plated a pair of unearned tallied in the fifth to pull within a run.

Voigt tacked on a two-run double to the left-field gap in the seventh to give the Mustangs a four-run bulge at 8-4.

TSU's Bailee Mauldin closed out scoring belting her third homer of the year over the left-field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Freshman Erin Knox allowed on earned run on four hits over the first four innings to improve to 8-2 on the season, while Kat Batey came on to allow one earned run on four hits while striking out four to earn her first save of the campaign.

Katelyn Vinson joined Schaefer, Carter, Voigt and Hamm with two hits to pace the Mustangs' 13-hit attack.

The Mustangs take on Eastern New Mexico and West Texas A&M Saturday in the LSC Showcase. The games are tentatively set for the City of Wichita Falls Softball Complex, but a decision regarding game locations will be made prior to Friday's games.

In other LSC Showcase action Friday night, West Texas A&M defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville 12-4 in six innings, Angelo State beat Eastern New Mexico 7-1 and Texas Woman's upended Cameron 4-3 in eight innings.