Sophomore Kim Jerrick pounded out four hits to lead 20th-ranked Midwestern State
to a 15-7 run-rule win over Southern Arkansas in its opening game of the Texas
A&M-Kingsville Invitational Friday night at Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas.
The
Mustangs fell just shy of a school record by legging out 19 hits in the
onslaught as Elena Bennett and Mallory Mooney collected three hits
each.
But Southern Arkansas put the Mustangs in the hole early with the
help of two first inning errors by the Mustangs.
The Muleriders (4-3)
batted around, scoring four unearned runs in the bottom half of the opening
frame.
Midwestern answered with a pair of runs in the second and third
innings to knot the game at 4-4 before Southern Arkansas struck for two more
unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Mustangs erupted for five
runs in the fourth inning highlighted by a two-run triple by sophomore Courtney
Ford, then sprinted for six more tallies in the fifth propelled by seven hits
with the big knock coming on Jerrick's two-run single up the middle.
The
Muleriders narrowed the margin to a eight runs with another score in the fifth
before MSU starter Lindsi Glenn worked her way out of a two-out, two-on jam to
move to 3-1 on the season.
The freshman from Healdton, Okla. allowed one
earned run on eight hits with two walks in five innings of work.
All
nine Mustangs' starters accounted for hits as eight different players drove in
runs. Jerrick and Ford had 3 RBIs each while Mooney, Kelley Schaefer and
Christina Roosmalen each drove in two.
Midwestern (3-2) takes on Texas
A&M International in Friday's nightcap before battling Southern Nazarene
and Southeastern Oklahoma at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The Mustangs
close the invitational with another game against Southern Arkansas Sunday
morning at 9.
