#14 MSU splits with #4 Southeastern Oklahoma
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#14 MSU splits with #4 Southeastern Oklahoma

  • 20 March 2006
  • 2 min read

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - In a battle of nationally-ranked teams, the 14th ranked Midwestern State University Mustangs split a double-header with the fourth ranked Southeastern Oklahoma State University Savage Storm Tuesday afternoon at the Sunrise Optimist Complex.

Southeastern (25-5, 5-1 LSC North) took game one 1-0, while MSU (25-6, 8-2 LSC North) claimed the nightcap 6-3.

 Game one was a duel between two of the top pitchers in the Lone Star Conference North.  SOSU's Christina Cearly allowed only two MSU hits, while striking out four for the win. MSU's Brittany Willson scattered three hits and struck out six as she dropped to 15-3 on the season.

The game's lone run came in the top of the sixth, when SOSU's Rachel Lynn was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Kristin McNeese followed by dropping a bunt in front of home plate that appeared to hit her on the way to first. McNeese was thrown out at first allowing Lynn to move to third after it was ruled the ball did not touch McNeese. Lynn scored on another sacrifice by Tressi Irby.

In game two, MSU got a measure of revenge against Cearly.

 Southeastern held a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third when Cearly entered the game in relief of reliever Jami McAdoo. Chantelle Lee slapped a single through the left side of the infield, followed by Allison Tidwell's double to right center. Stephanie Wardlaw smacked an RBI single to score Lee and Kristen Stonecipher hit a sac fly to center to plate Tidwell to tie the game.

In the fourth, MSU took the lead for good when Amanda Hill crushed a Cearly pitch over the fence in left center for a two-run homer, her fifth of the season.

The Mustangs added an insurance run in the sixth.

Ashley Kuchenski went the distance for MSU, allowing eight hits while striking out six to move to 10-3 on the season. Cearly took the loss to go to 13-2 on the year, giving up four earned runs and five hits in two innings of work.

Midwestern State is back in action again on Wednesday when it meets Abilene Christian in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at the Sunrise Optimist Complex. This is a change from most published schedules as ACU and MSU swapped home dates due to facility conflicts.

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