THE RUNDOWN
LUBBOCK, Texas – Midwestern State closed out the TAJ Hospitality College Softball Kickoff with a sweep of Chadron State (8-6) and Lubbock Christian (4-2) on Sunday. Outfielders Kelsey Eropkin and Lauren Lindgren recorded a pair of three-hit performances against the Eagles and Lady Chaps.
 
GAME ONE
Junior outfielder Kelsey Eropkin led a three-home run barrage, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a long ball as the Mustangs held off a late rally by Chadron State to earn their third win of the season, 8-6.
 
Junior Taylor Mordecai went 2-for-4 with a home run and sophomore Caycee Griffin continued her hot start, hitting her third home run in the first four games, going 1-for-3.
 
Senior Abbie Lancaster (3-0) earned her third win of the season. The right-hander tossed 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Lancaster pitched the first five innings and came on in relief to record the last two outs.
 
With Lancaster putting up zeroes in the circle, the Mustangs broke through for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to break the scoring seal.
 
Mordecai and Griffin hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the fourth. Mordecai belted her first blast of the season and 10^th of her career while Griffin matched her 2018 output with her third long ball in the first four games.
 
Freshman Ashley Turner singled up the middle before freshman Daylan Inkman reached on an error. After sophomore Tucker Caraway worked a walk to load the bases, Eropkin lifted a sacrifice fly to left, plating Turner and stretching the MSU Texas lead to 3-0. Junior Lauren Lindgren lined a single into center to bring home Inkman and Caraway, 5-0.
 
CSC answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to cut the MSU Texas lead down to 5-2. Haleigh Hoefs led off the frame with a solo home run to right center to put the Eagles on the board. Leilani Niccum worked a two-out walk and came around to score on a triple by Bailey Marvel.
 
The Mustangs got both runs back in the bottom of the inning to regain a five-run advantage. Freshman Bailey Wamsley led off the frame with a double down the left field line. Mordecai followed with a single to left-center to put runners on the corners. Griffin drove home Wamsley on a fielder's choice and stole second to move into scoring position. Turner brought home Griffin on a single and an error.
 
Eropkin added another run for the Maroon and Gold in the sixth on a solo blast to left, logging her fifth career three-hit performance and first of the season, 8-2.
 
The Eagles mounted a furious rally in the top of the seventh, putting the go-ahead run on base. Hoefs doubled into the left center alley and moved up to third on a groundout. Back-to-back walks to Lauren Renck and Niccum loaded the bases. Two runs scored as Marvel reached on an error, 8-4, to put runners on second and third.
 
Lancaster returned to the circle in relief of Misty Muniz who came on in the top of the sixth. Alyssa Geist poked a single into center to score Kendyl Moody who pinch ran for Niccum, 8-5. Another walk loaded the bases before a dropped fly ball scored Marvel, 8-6, and kept the bases loaded.
 
With the go-ahead run on first, Lancaster induced a lineout to third. The Idabel, Okla., native got Hoefs to ground out to quell the rally and improve to 3-0.
 
GAME ONE NOTES
- Midwestern State played its first seven inning game of the season in an 8-6 win against Chadron State on Saturday
- The Mustangs improve to 4-0 against CSC
- MSU Texas improved to 3-0 when hitting multiple home runs
- The pitching combination of seniors Abbie Lancaster and Misty Muniz held the Eagles hitless with the bases loaded (0-for-4)
- Lancaster came back in a relief effort to get the last two outs after throwing the first five innings
- Sophomore Caycee Griffin matched her 2018 home run total (3) in the fourth game of the year with a 1-for-3 performance at the plate
- Junior Kelsey Eropkin was credited with her fifth career three-hit performance, going 3-for-3 with her sixth career home run
- Junior Taylor Mordecai hit her 10^th career home run and first since April 13, 2017 (vs. Texas Woman's) after missing the 2018 season with an injury
 
GAME TWO
Lauren Lindgren collected three hits and Misty Muniz earned her first career win to help Midwestern State to a 4-2 victory over Lubbock Christian in the TAJ Hospitality College Softball Kickoff finale.
 
MSU Texas improves to 4-1 for the second-straight season.
 
The Mustangs hung a crooked number in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. Turner and Inkman hit back-to-back singles before Caraway deposited a single down the right field line to score Turner. Caraway and Inkman advanced another 60 feet on an error to move into scoring position. Eropkin was issued a walk when Lindgren beat out a fielder's choice to score Inkman.
 
MSU Texas padded the lead in the fourth. Griffin produced her fourth extra-base hit of the tournament, clubbing a ground-rule double to center and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Turner lined a single through the left-side of the infield to add an insurance run, 3-0.
 
Aggressive baserunning produced another run for the Maroon and Gold in the fifth. Caraway was hit-by-pitch to start the frame and went first-to-third on a wild pitch. The Whitewright native broke to the plate as Eropkin made contact on a groundout back to the pitcher and beat first baseman Annika Schwartzenberg's throw home, 4-0.
 
The Lady Chaps closed the gap to two in the bottom of the fifth. Muniz gave up back-to-back one out walks to Breanna Anderson and Alexa Riggs before being lifted for Lancaster. Samantha Wysocki greeted Lancaster with a two RBI double to right-center field to put LCU on the board, 4-2.
 
Lancaster induced a pair of groundouts to end the threat.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the right-hander surrendered a leadoff single on a chopper down the first base line. A pair of groundouts moved Anderson to third with two outs, but a popup to shortstop closed out the contest.
 
GAME TWO NOTES
- Midwestern State secured its second-consecutive 4-1 start under coach Mark Ryal
- The Mustangs were held without a home run for the first time this season
- Junior Lauren Lindgren went 3-for-4 with an RBI
- Lindgren finished the weekend 9-for-16 (.563) with two runs, six RBI and a home run
- Freshman Ashley Turner went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored
- Senior Misty Muniz (1-0) earned her first career win
- Senior Abbie Lancaster recorded her sixth career save
- Lancaster's six saves rank third all-time behind Katie Petersen (11) and Brittany Willson (7)
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State travels to Bentonville, Ark., next Sat., Feb. 9, for the D2 Crossover Classic.