THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Seniors Misty Muniz and Abbie Lancaster combined to hold Western New Mexico to a total of three hits as Midwestern State swept both games of the Lone Star Conference doubleheader. Muniz came one strike away from a no hitter for the second time this season as MSU Texas won the opener 5-1. Lancaster tossed her first career shutout – on her birthday no less – in the nightcap, an 8-0 Mustangs win.
 
GAME ONE
Senior pitcher Misty Muniz surrendered a two out double in the top of the seventh to WNMU's Miranda Simjian on a 1-2 count to lose her no-hit bid. The Seabrook, Texas, native was masterful, striking out a career-high 10 in the 126 pitch effort.
 
Freshman Bailey Wamsley provided most of the offense for the Maroon and Gold. The backstop went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI while junior Kelsey Eropkin and freshman Ashley Turner each scored a pair of runs.
 
After allowing a run without the benefit of a hit in the top of the first, MSU Texas struck for three runs in the home half of the second. Eropkin reached on an error to open the frame when Turner moved the outfielder to third on a bunt single. An errant throw up the line at first allowed both runners to move into scoring position.
 
Senior Tucker Caraway chopped a slow-roller through the right-side of the infield to plate Turner and Eropkin. Wamsley rifled a double into the left-center alley to stake the Mustangs to a 3-1 lead.
 
Wamsley provided a bases-loaded RBI single in the bottom of the third to finalize the scoring line.
 
Muniz proved that five runs would be more than enough to improve to 4-4 on the season. The right-hander allowed one run on one hit in 7.0 innings of work while walking four and fanning a career-best 10.
 
WNMU's Julia Vega (1-3) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout.
 
GAME ONE NOTES
- Senior Misty Muniz came one strike away from a no-hitter (7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 10 K)
- Muniz also came one strike away from a five inning no-no in the series finale win over Cameron
- The Seabrook native struck out 10 for a new career high
- Freshman Bailey Wamsley went 2-for-3 with a double and season-high three RBI to pace the offense
- Junior Kelsey Eropkin and freshman Ashley Turner each scored a pair of runs for the Mustangs
 
GAME TWO
Senior Abbie Lancaster proved just as efficient as Muniz, throwing her first career shutout in the Mustangs 8-0 win in the nightcap. The Idabel, Okla., native scattered two hits and a pair of walks over 6.0 innings, throwing just 59 pitches in the complete game effort.
 
Senior Carli Woolsey belted a three-run missile in the bottom of the first and junior Lauren Lindgren roped a two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth to ice the win. Woolsey finished 2-for-3 with a double, home run, two runs scored and three RBI while Lindgren matched a season-best with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.
 
MSU Texas stung the Mustangs for a four-spot in the bottom of the first. After Wamsley lifted a sacrifice fly, Woolsey smashed Vega's first-pitch offering over the wall in left for her fifth round-tripper of the season.
 
With Lancaster keeping WNMU off-balance, MSU Texas added a pair of runs in the fifth before walking off with the run-rule in the sixth.
 
Woolsey banged a double off the wall in left before coming home on Turner's double into the left-center gap. Sophomore Marley Eller lifted a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, the Maroon and Gold put the game away in the bottom of the inning. Eropkin lined a leadoff double off the wall just before Lindgren launched a no-doubter over the wall in left-center to close out the contest.
 
Vega was stuck with her second loss of the day after giving up four runs on five hits in the first. Lyana Waddell surrendered four runs on six hits over the final 4.0 innings.
 
GAME TWO NOTES
- MSU Texas improves to 16-3 all-time against Western New Mexico and 6-0 at home
- The Mustangs improve to 6-1 at home this season
- Senior Abbie Lancaster tossed her first career shutout to improve to 6-3 on the season
- The Idabel, Okla., native eclipsed her 2018 win total, allowing two hits and two walks over 6.0 innings of work
- Junior Lauren Lindgren produced her third, 3-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and her fourth long ball of the season
- Senior Carli Woolsey went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a double
- The Enid, Okla., native leads the team with five dingers on the year
 
UP NEXT
MSU Texas returns to the diamond on Fri., March 8 against Western New Mexico. First pitch in the series-finale at Mustangs Park is slated for 12 p.m.