Mustangs Down Pioneers

                IRVING, Texas - - The Midwestern State University softball team opened the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament with a 7-1 victory of Texas Woman's University.

             MSU (40-14), the number one seed from the LSC North Division, picked up a five-run inning in the bottom of the second, and then added two more runs to ice the victory.

            The Mustangs had big days at the plate from Cheyanne Paschal (3-3), Maranda Bishop (1-3, 2 RBIs), Jessica Rodriguez (1-3, 1 RBI), Kristen Stonecipher (2-3, 1 RBI), Lindsey Voigt (2-3), and Kelli Shaw (1-2, 1 RBI).

            MSU also received great games off the mound from Katie Petersen and Ashley Kuchenski. Petersen, started the game, and went four innings allowing just two hits and striking out six batters, while picking up win number 23 on the season. Kuchenski, who came into the game in the top of the fifth, allowed one run on three hits and struck out two, while picking up her first save of the year.

            Midwestern will now face the three seed from the North, Central Oklahoma, who knocked off Texas A&M-Kingsville 4-2 in eight innings. The MSU-UCO game will be at 5:00 p.m. from Irving's Southwest Park.

++MSU++