The Lady Toppers opened up the 2013 season Friday with a two-game split in the Bulldog Battle in Starkville, Miss.

WKU beat Murray State 9-1 and lost to Northwestern State 5-3 in the Opening Day double-header.

The Lady Toppers’ 9-1 win over Murray State was career win No. 300 for coach Tyra Perry, and the fourth out of the last five against the Racers.

Junior pitcher Emily Rousseau pitched all six innings and allowed only one run on four hits. Seven different Lady Toppers scored runs and eight different had at least one hit including senior catcher Kellie Quarles, who had four hits and four runs batted in.

The Lady Toppers had only four hits in the 5-3 loss to Northwestern State, the first meeting between the two teams.

The Lady Toppers scored all three runs in the first inning coming off hits from senior pitcher Mallorie Sulaski and sophomore Jacqueline McGill.

Sophomore pitcher Janna Scheff pitched for the majority of the game and gave up five runs on 11 hits. Of her 119 pitches, 73 of them were strikes.

WKU continues play in the Bulldog Classic tomorrow at 10 a.m. against Lipscomb and at noon against Mississippi State.