WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- No. 5 Texas A&M-Kingsville swept Midwestern State 12-1 and 12-5 in a Lone Star Conference doubleheader Friday night at Mustangs Park.

The Mustangs remain in the hunt for the 10th and final berth in the Lone Star Conference standings with a 6-20 league record, but are three games behind St. Edward's with four games to play.

MSU would also need to leap Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M International who are tied for 11th with an 8-18 record, while UT Permian locked into a tie for 13th place with MSU after sweeping West Texas A&M Friday night.

Midwestern State begins the quest to finish the campaign on a high note Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M International. First pitches are set for 4 and 6 p.m.

Texas A&M-Kingsville took advantage of free passes in the Game 1. MSU pitchers issued eight walks and seven came in to score as the Javelinas scored in all five inning including five-run frames in the first, third and fourth.

The Javelinas combined to hit six home runs in Game 2 to stave off a determined Midwestern State effort.

Kayla Gonzalez and Aaliyah Ortiz hit two each, while Kaylee Dietrich and Natalie Rodriguez went back-to-back as part of a five run seventh inning for the Javelinas.

Midwestern State erupted for three runs in the home half of the third inning sparked when Ashley Turner eluded Matisen Onifrey's tag at the plate to score the first run of the game for the Mustangs.

Peyton Lee followed with a two-run single to center field to pull MSU to within 4-3.

Freshman Maci Sanders beat Texas A&M-Kingsville's shift in the sixth inning lining a triple to the left-field fence to score Paige Bryant, then came plate ward on an errant to pull MSU to within 7-5.

But Gonzalez answered with a two-run blast in the seventh for the Javelinas. Dietrich and Gonzalez tacked on solo homers to give Texas A&M-Kingsville a seven-run advantage.
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