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MSU vs. Saginaw Valley State | MSU vs. Ashland
Kissimmee, Fla. – The Minnesota State softball team split a pair of games Sunday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., downing 14th-ranked Saginaw Valley State 2-0 before suffering a 5-4, eight-inning loss to Ashland.
Senior pitcher Kendra Huettl pitched a complete-game one-hitter in the Maverick’s opener against the Cardinals in a rematch of last year’s first-round game at the NCAA Division II Championships. Huettl struck out ten and issued just three walks in the win as she converted 70 of her 105 pitches for strikes.
Minnesota State scored the games only runs in the top of the fifth inning as redshirt freshman centerfielder Christina Redd opened the inning by singling to second base. Senior rightfielder Melanie Upchurch followed with an infield single back to the circle before junior leftfielder Lauryn Morris walked to load the bases.
A fielder’s choice off the bat of sophomore third baseman Lindsay Erickson erased Redd at the plate before SVSU’s starter notched a strikeout for the inning’s second out.
Freshman second baseman Brittani Robinson then pushed a two-out single through the right side plating Upchurch and Morris, giving Huettl all of the run support she needed.
Lindsay Erickson led Minnesota State at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort as MSU had seven hits.
In the nightcap, Ashland used a bases-clearing triple in the top of the first to stake an early 3-0 advantage. Minnesota State answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth as senior first baseman Chelsea Erickson reached on an error and scored on an RBI single off the bat of senior rightfielder Melanie Upchurch. The Mavericks added another run as junior shortstop #Abby Sonner# – who had earlier singled scored on a single off the bat of Morris.
Chelsea Erickson blasted her second home run in as many days over the rightcenter fence to start the sixth inning, tying the game at three.
Ashland plated a pair of runs in the top of the eighth as the two-teams were forced to use the international tiebreaker rule.
The Mavericks started the bottom of the eighth with Chelsea Erickson on second and she scored on a single off the bat of Sonner to plate MSU’s final run. Minnesota State would get runners on second and third with no outs but Ashland’s Emlyn Knerem used a strikeout, groundout and a pop-up to limit the damage.
Sonner led MSU at the plate with a 3-for-4 effort while Lindsay Erickson and freshman designated player #Chelsea Riordan# each went 2-for-4. Chelsea Erickson plated three of MSU’s four runs.
Huettl took the loss as she worked the final three innings and allowed two runs, both of which were unearned while striking out four. Junior Courtney McKelvogue started and went five innings scattering three hits while striking out four.
Minnesota State (9-4) continues action in Florida Monday as it plays Lees-McRae and C.W. Post at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., (EST) respectively. Both games will be played at Oren Brown Park.
