ADA, Okla. – The East Central University softball team welcomed Midwestern State University for a pair of nonconference makeup games, shutting down the Mustangs 6-0 in game one before closing the doubleheader with a 10-2 victory in five innings.
 
The two wins improve ECU to 13-13 overall.
 
Taia Harris tossed a one-hit shutout and set a new career record of 14 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings on the way to her third win of the season.
 
The Tiger offense gave Harris all the runs she would need, as ECU would score in all but one inning.
 
Elyse LeClair led off game one with a double, then crossed home plate off a fielding error by MSU.
 
The Tigers added to the board in the second after LeClair reached on a fielder's choice, Jayna Reid was hit by a pitch, and Megan Lesko singled up the middle to drive LeClair home for the 2-0 lead.
 
ECU also put on one run in the fourth after Gabi Quintanilla singled to bring in Elyse LeClair, who previously reached on a fielder's choice.
 
The Tigers scored two more times in the fifth, with Rachelle Mengwasser hitting a solo homer, followed by Cheyenne Adair drawing a walk and then scoring off of Jayna Reid's hit to right field to extend the lead 5-0.
 
ECU then added an insurance run in the sixth, starting with Kenzie Lasker drawing a walk. Vanessa Tamayo and Rachelle Mengwasser drew walks of their own to make the bases loaded before a groundout from Adair scored Lasker.
 
MSU would collect their only hit in the top of the seventh, but back-to-back strikeouts from Harris would settle the score 6-0.
 
Jayna Reid collected two hits, while Elyse LeClair, Megan Lesko, Gabi Quintanilla, Vanessa Tamayo, and Rachelle Mengwasser had one.
 
Taryn O'Brien would pitch a complete game of her own in game two and would strike out seven while allowing just two hits in the run rule victory.
 
ECU got the scoring going quickly in the first, with Elyse LeClair leading off with a double and then reaching home on an MSU fielding error.
 
The Tigers added two more in the second after Jami Watson singled up the middle, Josi Goodman doubled to right to drive in Watson, and Elyse LeClair singled to score Goodman for the 3-0 lead.
 
In the fourth, ECU took advantage of another MSU error when Megan Lesko reached and advanced to second to get into scoring position. Gabi Quintanilla then singled to right for Lesko to come home and go up 4-0.
 
MSU picked up its first two runs of the series with a solo homer in the fourth and fifth to cut the deficit to 4-2.
 
But ECU exploded in the fifth, tacking six more runs on a 2 RBI single from Watson, 2 RBI double from Miranda Garza, RBI from LeClair, and a wild pitch from MSU to end the game 10-2 in five innings.
 
Elyse LeCLair, Gabi Quintanilla, and Jami Watson each added a pair of hits, while Vanessa Tamayo, Josi Goodman, Miranda Garza, and Adrianna Swann had one.
 
The East Central University softball team will be back in action at home for a GAC series between Henderson State University starting Friday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m.