YOUNGSVILLE, La. -- Midwestern State battled the projected top of the the Great American Conference Saturday afternoon in the Mardi Gras Invitational at the Youngsville Sports Complex.

The Mustangs lost 5-2 to Harding (Ark.), before falling to league favorite Southern Arkansas -- 7-2 -- in the night cap.

MSU (0-4) returns to action Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader at East Central (Okla.). First pitches at Tiger Field in Ada are set for 1 and 3 p.m.
 

HARDING 5, MIDWESTERN STATE 2

Harding's Riley Price, Lily Tanski, and Abby Burch combined on a one-hitter to lift the Bisons to a 5-2 win.

Price (2-0) earned the win despite struggling with her command. The sophomore from Edgewood allowed a one-out hit to Paige Bryant in the bottom of the second inning which was the only safety for Midwestern State.

Price issued four walks while recording six strikeouts before giving way to Tanski, permitted a run in one relief inning.

Burch finished off the game with two perfect innings while recording two strikeouts to earn her second save of the season.

Midwestern State took advantage of two walks and an error to plate a run in the second inning, then scored a second run on Bailey Brenek's squeeze bunt in the sixth.

Harding plated two runs in the first and three in the second to provide the difference in the game.

MSU freshman Jasmine Trevino weaved 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in her collegiate debut in relief of starter Kennedy Cameron (0-2).
 

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 7, MIDWESTERN STATE 2

Southern Arkansas erupted for four runs in the fourth inning on the way to a 7-2 win over Midwestern State.

SAU's Alyssa Miller laced a liner past a diving center fielder for a three-run inside-the-park home run to key the four-run fourth inning. The junior from Magnolia, Texas, led the Muleriders by 3-for-3 with three RBIs.

Sophomore third baseman Gracie King roped a two-run single to center field in the sixth inning to give the Muleriders a 7-2 advantage.

Midwestern State took lead of the season in the third inning powered by run-scoring singles by Kayla Bryant and Hanna Hetherington.

But Southern Arkansas' late-inning heroics allowed the Muleriders to move to a perfect 4-0.

Chloe Bryant, Megan Ayala, and Kayla Bryant had two hits each to pace Midwestern State's eight-hit attack.
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