Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Stats | Game 2 Stats

Vadnais Heights, Minn. --- Minnesota State pitchers #Kendra Huettl# and Courtney McKelvogue limited the Minnesota Duluth pitchers to just eight hits over 17 innings of softball Wednesday afternoon, en route to a Maverick sweep of the Bulldogs.

Minnesota State won the opening game, 2-1 in ten innings before earning a 2-0 victory in the nightcap.

In the opener, Minnesota State scored the game’s lone run in the top of the seventh as senior centerfielder #Chelsea Erickson# singled to left.  A sacrifice bunt off the bat of junior shortstop #Abby Sonner# moved Erickson to second before she came around to score on a two-out single as redshirt freshman rightfielder #Christina Redd# singled to center.

The Bulldogs answered in the bottom half of the innings as Kierra Jeffers hit a solo home run to right field to knot the score at one.

Both teams mounted threats in the extra innings before sophomore shortstop Lindsay Erickson singled to left.  A sacrifice bunt off the bat of sophomore first baseman Kelly Wood moved Erickson to second before she moved to third on a fielder’s choice off the bat of freshman infielder Brittani Robinson.

Robinson, who was safe on the fielder’s choice, and Erickson pulled off a successful double steal – one which moved Robinson all the way to third, as Erickson plated the go-ahead run.

Minnesota State finished with five hits as senior second baseman #Amanda Umhoefer#, Lindsay Erickson and Wood all had two.  Huettl – a senior - earned the win, her second of the year against one loss, going the distance scattering six hits while striking out 20.  The 20 strikeouts marks the most by a Maverick since Katie Karbon struck out 19 against Concordia University on April 6, 2004.

In the nightcap, Lindsay Erickson doubled to centerfield in the bottom of the third, plating freshman designated player #Chelsea Riordan#, who had earlier singled, staking the Mavericks to a 1-0 lead.

Robinson extended the lead in the bottom of the sixth as she blasted her second home run of the season to leftfield, pushing the Maverick advantage to 2-0.

The two runs were all McKelvogue – a junior righthander – needed as she earned her second win of the year. McKelvogue went the distance allowing no runs two hits while striking out six.

The Mavericks (4-3) return to action March 2 when they travel to Kissimmee, Fla., to begin a 10-day run in the Rebel Spring Games.  Minnesota State’s first game is slated for 9 a.m. (EST) against Simpson College.

Kendra Huettl talks about the win: