STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- Tarleton State plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally past Midwestern State 9-8 in Game 1 Sunday  afternoon at the TSU Softball Complex.

The Mustangs have lost seven of their last nine to fall to 15-11 on the season and to 2-7 in Lone Star Conference play, while Tarleton claimed their fifth straight win to improve to 14-11 and 1-2.

MSU erupted for six runs in the third inning powered by a pair of two-run singles by Katy Vandewater and Erin Knox, while Kelley Schaefer and Taylor Bermudes also delivered run-scoring singles to pus the Mustangs out to a 7-3 lead.

It was Schaefer's second RBI of the game as the senior third baseman from Waco delivered the Mustangs' first run of the game with her fifth double of the season in the top of the first to plate junior Haley Howerton, who reach on an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice.

Tarleton scored a run in the first and two more in the second, third and fourth frames to knot the game at 7-7.

MSU junior second baseman Shelby Carter ripped her fourth home run of the season down the left-field line with one out in the fifth as the Mustangs regained a one-run edge.

But it wasn't enough for sophomore Katlyn Holmes, who allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings of relief to fall to 8-6 on the season.

Tarleton's Rebeka Allen led off the bottom of the seventh with a single through the left side of the MSU infield and was sacrificed to second.

After Taylor Fitzgerald fouled out to shortstop, Katelyn Conlee singled in the tying run before Shelby Hedrick delivered a pinch-hit single to left field to drive in the winning run.

Schaefer, Carter and Knox had two hits each to pace the Mustangs' 10-hit attack.

Haley Freyman earned the win in the circle for TSU allowing three runs on five hits and five inning of relief to imrpove to 11-6. She allowed one hit over her last four innings of work.