Mankato, Minn.-- Sixteenth-Ranked Minnesota State swept Northern State Monday afternoon, 2-0 and 3-0, to close out the regular season. The sweep places the Mavericks in fourth-place in the final Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Game one turned out to be a pitcher’s dual, as MSU pitcher Kendra Huettl gave up five hits in her complete game shutout performance.
The first hit wouldn’t happen until the 14th batter of the game when MSU sophomore shortstop Abby Sonner dropped a single to right field in the third inning.
The Minnesota State junior pitcher Huettl dominated early as she deflated 9-of-9 batters in the perfect three innings against NSU.
In the top of the fourth, junior Melanie Upchurch had a lead-off single. The rightfielder stole her 29th base of the season, before being stranded on second after Northern State retired three straight MSU batters.
Minnesota State broke the 0-0 tie in the sixth inning on a two-out rally. Minnesota State seniors Natalie Spicer and #Julie O’Neal# supplied singles to left center, before freshman Lindsay Erickson belted a two-out, two RBI double.
The two-run sixth inning would be enough for Huettl to capture her 23rd win of the season. Huettl consolidated eight strike outs, giving up five hits in the game.
Lindsay Erickson drove the Mavericks to the victory on her 2-for-3 performance as she claimed two runs batted in on her game-winning hit in the sixth inning.
In game two, the Mavericks outhit the Wolves 9-6 to finish 20-6 in the regular season of the NSIC.
Back-to-back triples would ignite the Mavericks in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore centerfielder Lauryn Morris took a ball to right center field, earning her fourth triple of the season. First baseman Natalie Spicer hit an opposite field triple down the right field line, scoring Morris.
O’Neal tallied her 45th RBI when she put a ball through the left side of the infield, scoring Spicer, giving MSU a 2-0 lead.
The seniors, Spicer and O’Neal, kept the Mavericks rolling in the sixth inning when Spicer singled to lead off the inning. O’Neal crushed her 13th double of the season to bring Spicer across the plate, improving the MSU lead to 3-0.
Minnesota State sophomore Courtney McKelvogue pitched a seven inning shutout, giving up six hits and earned two strikeouts in her 18th win of the season.
Upchurch was 3-for-4 from the plate, with Spicer and O’Neal each gathering two hits in the win.
The sixteenth-ranked Mavericks (43-10, 20-6 NSIC) will play Friday in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D., against Winona State at 12 p.m. The game will be played at Sherman Field.
Here is the opening round NSIC match-ups Thursday:
(4) Minnesota State vs. (5) Winona State, 10 a.m. at Bowden Field
(2) Wayne State vs. (7) Concordia-St. Paul, 12 a.m., at Sherman Field
(3) Minnesota Duluth vs. (6) SMSU, 10 a.m., at Sherman Field
(1) Augustana vs. (8) U-Mary, Noon at Bowden Field
For the full tournament bracket, click HERE
