Mankato, Minn.—The Minnesota State softball team swept Minnesota Duluth 13-5 and 9-1 in both teams first day in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action. The Mavericks combined for 25 hits on the day, excelling their record to 25-4.

 

In the first game, MSU jumped out to an early lead as the first Minnesota State batter, Melanie Upchurch was hit by a pitch. After Upchurch was bunted over to second by Morris, senior Natalie Spicer reached on a throwing error. Senior #Julie O’Neal# was hit by a pitch with one out. Chelsea Erickson and Lindsay Erickson would hit a pair of singles to give MSU a 3-0 edge after the first inning.

 

MSU sophomore Amanda Umhoefer would tally a run in the second, when Lauryn Morris ripped a triple down the right field line.

 

UMD would score three runs in the top of the third to tighten the score to 4-3.

 

Minnesota State outfielder Abby Sonner crushed a solo shot in the fourth.

 

With the game knotted at five,  junior Kendra Huettl came in to replace Courtney McKelvogue. The sophomore McKelvogue would go four innings, striking out five batters.

 

The Mavericks would break the tie, having a four-run fifth inning. O’Neal, Chelsea Erickson and Lindsay Erickson would string three singles together, with Kelly Wood hitting a double up the middle to bring them all in. The second baseman Umhoefer would bring in Wood on a home run over the left field fence to put MSU 9-5 after five innings.

 

The Mavericks ended the game in the sixth by adding four more runs. After two throwing errors to start the inning for the Bulldogs, MSU’s O’Neal went deep, hitting her fourth home run of the season to put the Mavericks up 11-5. After a Lindsay Erickson single to right field, Wood would end the game with her fourth homer of the season.

 

In the 13-5 win, the junior pitcher Huettl would earn her 11^th win of the season on two innings of work, facing six batters, striking out three.

 

Minnesota State would have 14 hits and one error in the game, as Minnesota Duluth would tally seven hits and three errors. The Mavericks would hit four long balls in the game as O’Neal would finish 3-for-3 with two RBI. Lindsay Erickson would bat 3-for-4, knocking in two MSU runs and Kelly Wood tally  four runs batted in.

 

MSU earned its 25^th win on a 9-1, five inning win over UMD in game number two of the doubleheader. Huettl would go the distance and pick up where she left off from game one of the doubleheader. The junior would allow only two hits in the 17 batters faced, earning five strikeouts.

 

The Mavericks would jump out to a 3-0 after the first inning for the second-straight game. Morris, Spicer and O’Neal would rattle three singles off in a row, before Chelsea Erickson would walk with the bases loaded. Lindsay Erickson would hit a double to left center to bring in Spicer and O’Neal.

 

In its biggest inning of the day, MSU batted ten batters in its five run, second inning. After Umhoefer stole second, she would score on an Upchurch rip past the shortstop. O’Neal broke the game open on a one out, two RBI double to left center, scoring Morris and Upchurch. Minnesota added two more runs to widen its lead to 8-0 after two innings.

 

Huettl earned her 12^th win of the season, as the Bulldogs would score its only run of the game on a solo homerun shot by Kierra Jeffers in the third.

 

MSU’s Chloe Minkel would score the final run of the game as Abby Sonner beat out a ball hit deep in the hole to the shortstop.

 

The Mavericks earned 13 hits, with UMD earning two hits and making two errors.

 

Lauryn Morris would finish 3-for-3 from the dish, with two runs and one RBI.  Julie O’Neal went 2-for-3 in the game totaling 5-for-6 at the plate on the day. O’Neal totaled five runs and four runs batted in the doubleheader.

 

Minnesota State (25-4, 2-0 NSIC) will continue action Sunday at the Diamond at Gage against Bemidji State. The doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.