DENTON, Texas – Wichita State needed every one of its eight runs to defeat North Texas, 8-6, Saturday on day one of the North Texas Invitational.

Wichita State (10-3) opened the day with a 7-1 win over Northwestern State.

Sydney McKinney played in her 200th career game in the opener vs. Northwestern State. With a hit in each game, she extended her hitting streak to 31. She is only the 11th player to record a hit streak of 30 or more games in NCAA history.

The Shockers wrap up the North Invitational on Sunday with another game against Northwestern State and North Texas.

Game 1 vs. Northwestern State

McKinney singled, doubled and scored a run to go 2-for-4 in the win over the Lady Demons. Lauren Lucas was 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Addison Barnard hit her second home run of the season to go with three RBI.

Lauren Howell (4-1) picked up her fourth win of the season in the complete game. For the third straight game she tied a career high with seven strikeouts. She allowed just four hits and the lone run.

McKinney led off the game with a double and then came home two batters later on a Lucas RBI double. Wichita State's third double through two plate appearances came off the bat of Sami Hood in the second. A Camryn Compton sac bunt moved her to third and then she scored on a Northwestern State error, making it 2-0.

Wichita State added to its lead in the top of the third on a pair of RBI groundouts from Lauren Mills and Hood.

Northwestern State broke up the shutout in the home half of the third behind a leadoff walk, fielder's choice and wild pitch. Howell limited the damage to just the lone run behind back-to-back strikeouts, stranding runners on the corners.

It didn't take long for Wichita State to get that run back plus a couple. Barnard unloaded a three-run shot down the left field line to put the Shockers up 7-1.

Game 2 vs. North Texas

Lauren Mills delivered the big blow to help Wichita State take down a North Texas team that opened the season ranked in the Top 25. Mills was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI. Addison Barnard scored three times behind two singles and a walk.

Alison Cooper improved to 4-1, although it got dicey in the sixth. She finished the game, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks. She struck out three in 5.2 innings. Alex Aguilar threw 1.1 innings of relief to register the save.

Lauren Lucas drove in two runs on a triple and a walk. Sydney McKinney kept her hitting streak alive late in the game on a bunt single.

Wichita State broke up a scoreless game in the top of the third on Lucas' RBI triple. The big hit came with two outs after Barnard walked and stole second.

In the top of the fifth, Wichita State opened the floodgates with a six-run inning. With one out, three straight Shockers reached base in the way of a Krystin Nelson HBP, McKinney single and Barnard single. A 10-pitch at bat for Lucas ended in a bases loaded walk that scored Nelson. North Texas' third error of the day allowed two runs to score, making it 4-0. On the first pitch of the next at bat, Mills smashed a three-run shot to center, putting the Shockers up, 7-0.

Cooper had silenced the North Texas bats for 5.0 innings, but the sixth inning things got interesting. The first two hitters reached base via single and walk. That led to a three-run home run, cutting the lead to 7-3.

The sophomore lefty calmed down to strike out the next two, but three straight singles kept the inning alive. Leading now, 7-5, Cooper was replaced by Aguilar. North Texas singled in back-to-back appearances to draw within one, but a strikeout ended the inning with the lead still intact.

Barnard led off the top of the seventh with a single and moved up to second on a Lucas groundout. With two outs, Mills smoked a single back up the middle to score Barnard, pushing the margin to two, 8-6.

Aguilar retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to record her first career save.