THE RUNDOWN
CANYON, Texas – Midwestern State issued nine walks in the first game (L, 6-3) before No. 21 West Texas A&M's Kylee Moore hit a pair of home runs in the nightcap (L, 3-0) to give WT a sweep of the Mustangs at Schaeffer Park on Friday.
 
GAME ONE
Freshman Ashley Turner extended her hitting streak to five games with a 2-for-3, two double performance at the plate in the 6-3 loss in the first game of the day. Senior Abbie Lancaster (L, 5-3) issued a career-high nine walks as MSU Texas gave up three unearned runs in the loss.
 
West Texas A&M starter Shayne Starkey (6-1) earned the win, allowing three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.
 
Kourtney Coveney led the Lady Buffs at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI.
 
The Mustangs wasted no time in grabbing the early advantage in the day's opener. MSU Texas tagged the Lady Buffs for a two-spot in the top of the first inning. Senior Tucker Caraway and junior Kelsey Eropkin collected back-to-back singles to start the frame before a one-out single through the left-side of the infield off the bat of freshman Bailey Wamsley loaded the bases.
 
Senior Carli Woolsey tagged her seventh extra-base hit of the season for a two-run double to left-center to stake the Maroon and Gold the 2-0 advantage.
 
WT answered with two runs in the bottom of the third without the benefit of a hit. A pair of walks sandwiched around a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out. Kylee Moore lifted a sacrifice fly to center before a bobble at third base by Turner allowed the second run to come home.
 
MSU Texas regained the lead in the top of the fourth. Turner extended her hitting streak to five games with a two-out double. The freshman showed off her speed by scoring from second on a wild pitch to put the Mustangs back on top, 3-2.
 
Walks and miscues cursed the Maroon and Gold again in the bottom of the inning. Erica Vessels legged out a double on a slow roller between first and second. Alyx Cordell drew a four-pitch walk before a two-base error plated the tying run. Kourtney Coveney lifted a sacrifice fly to right to give the Lady Buffs the first lead of the day, 4-3.
 
A two-run homer from Coveney extend the WT lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Turner opened the top of the seventh with a double to the left field corner, but the Mustangs were unable to string multiple hits together to strike for the tying run in the setback.
 
GAME ONE NOTES
- MSU Texas outhit WT for the second-straight game
- Freshman Ashley Turner extended her hitting streak to five games, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles
- Senior Tucker Caraway collected her third multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with a run scored
- Senior Abbie Lancaster was tagged with the loss after giving up a career-high nine walks
 
GAME TWO
WT's Kyra Lair kept the MSU Texas offense in check, scattering four hits in a complete game shutout, 3-0, in the series finale while Kylee Moore went 2-for-2 with a pair of long balls.
 
WT broke the scoring seal with two outs in the bottom of the first. Ruby Salzman drove a two-out single back up the middle to keep the inning alive. Moore followed with a two-run homer to straightaway center to stake the Lady Buffs a 2-0 advantage.
 
Senior Misty Muniz eased into the flow of the game after the first to hang zeroes in the next five frames and give the Mustangs a chance to stage a comeback at the plate.
 
MSU Texas threated in the top of the fifth and top of the sixth, putting the tying run on-base in both innings.
 
In the fifth, Muniz rifled a leadoff single into left and moved up to second on a two-out single from freshman Daylan Inkman. Caraway drove a line drive single to the left-side of the second base bag, but a diving snare from Cordell snuffed out the rally.
 
Eropkin kicked off the top of the sixth with an opposite field double. Wamsley worked a one-out walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate before back-to-back strikeouts from Lair.
 
Moore lifted her second long ball of the day to center with one out in the sixth to push the lead to 3-0.
 
Griffin worked a walk in the top of the seventh, but a lineout and popup gave the Lady Buffs their sixth-straight sweep of the Mustangs.
 
Muniz (3-4) was again the hard-luck loser, allowing three runs on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO NOTES
- Midwestern State suffered its 18^th-straight loss to West Texas A&M, dropping to 5-15 on the road against the Lady Buffs
- The Mustangs were shutout for the fourth time this season
- MSU Texas finished the series allowing 12 hits to the Lady Buffs offense, outhitting WT in two of the three games (tied 4-4 in G3)
- Senior Misty Muniz fanned seven for the fifth-straight game
 
UP NEXT
MSU Texas returns to the diamond on Fri., March 8 against Western New Mexico. First pitch in the doubleheader at Mustangs Park is slated for 3 p.m.