THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State suffered a pair of one-run setbacks to Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday at Mustangs Park. The Mustangs lost the opener, 5-4, before faltering in a 2-1, 10-inning affair in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, MSU's Lauren Lindgren and Amanda Thomas each went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Lindgren broke the scoring seal in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double high off the wall in center field to pull the Mustangs within one. Thomas followed with a no-doubter to left-center, giving the Maroon and Gold a 3-2 lead.
 
Starting pitcher Riley Adams was lifted in the top of the fifth after a pair of walks put two on with two outs. Javelinas third baseman Rachael Longoria welcomed reliever Abbie Lancaster into the game with a three-run shot to left.
 
Trailing 5-3, Lindgren made TAMUK pay for a costly dropped fly ball in right, plating Tucker Caraway on a single through the infield.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, MSU put the tying and go-ahead runs on base with a two-out rally. Kelsey Eropkin lined a two-out double into left and advanced to third when Kelcee Thompson reached on an error. With runners on the corners, Misty Muniz hit a slow-roller up the middle, but second baseman Alex Acosta-Cantu got to the ball and flipped to second to close out the game.
 
In the nightcap, both teams pushed home a run in the third inning before both pitching staffs hung zeroes on the board. Kingsville's Lauren Oatman legged out a one-out triple before coming home on a double from Loren Kelly. MSU's Samantha Loos answered with a solo bomb in the bottom of the inning, her team-leading sixth home run of the season.
 
Senior starting pitcher Gracie Bogle scattered seven hits and three walks for one run over 7.2 innings of work. The right-hander worked out of several jams, stranding multiple runners on base in the fifth and seventh before being lifted for Lancaster with two outs in the eighth.
 
After a two-out walk by Lancaster loaded the bases for the Javelinas, the Idabel, Okla., native struck out Alexei Gonzalez on three pitches to end the eighth.
 
MSU had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the ninth to walk off as winners. Carli Woolsey reached on an error with one out before Thomas rifled a double down the left field line put a pair in scoring position for the Mustangs. The Javelinas went to Breanna Smith in the jam as the southpaw induced a pair of popups to extend the game.
 
In the 10th, Roxy Chapa singled to right and was lifted for Sydney Andrews as a pinch-runner. Andrews stole second and advanced to third on a deep fly ball. With one out, Haley Boyett missed on a suicide squeeze attempt. Caught between third base and home, Thomas' throw back to the bag bounced off Andrews, giving the Javelinas the lead.

GAME ONE NOTES
- The Mustangs surrendered seven walks, giving up three runs off free passes to the Javelinas.
- MSU struck out a season-high 11 times at the plate, working only three walks.
- Senior catcher Amanda Thomas went 2-for-3, belting her second home run of the season on a two-run shot to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
- Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Eropkin extended her hitting streak to nine games with a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh.
 
GAME TWO NOTES
- The Mustangs held the Javelinas to an .083 average with runners in scoring position, but failed to collect a hit in similar situations, going 0-for-7.
- MSU was 2-for-16 with runners on base, stranding nine and finishing with 11 strikeouts offensively.
- Senior starting pitcher Gracie Bogle scattered seven hits and three walks over 7.2 innings for a lone run, striking out five in the no-decision.
- Junior second baseman Samantha Loos recorded the lone multi-hit game for MSU, going 2-for-5 with her team-leading sixth long ball of the season.
- Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Eropkin extended her hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the bottom of the third.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State is back on the diamond Sunday, Feb. 25 in the series finale with Texas A&M-Kingsville. First pitch is set for noon at Mustangs Park.