Box Score 1 | Box Score 2        St. Peter, Minn. --- The Minnesota State University softball team returned to the diamond as they squared-off against the University of Sioux Falls on the Gustavus football field in St. Peter.

The Mavericks swept the Cougars by scores of 1-0 and 12-4 improving to 31-9 overall and 16-4 on the circuit.
   
The first six innings of the first contest were a defensive battle as the Mavericks posted five hits and committed one error, while the Cougars recorded four runs and had one error, but neither team had a run to its credit.
 
Junior Kelly Wood ended the defensive battle with a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead, which proved to be the final score.
 
Senior pitcher Courtney McKelvogue went all seven innings, giving up five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.
 
The MSU offensive charge was led by senior Abby Sonner, who recorded two hits in three at bats. Collectively, the Mavericks finished the first contest with one run on six hits with one error.
 
In the second contest of the afternoon, it was the Cougars striking first, but the Mavericks quickly answered with a run of their own in the top of the third inning as senior Lauryn Morris hit a lead-off single and would cross home plate off of an single by junior Lindsay Erickson bringing the game to a 1-1 tie after the top half of the third inning.
 
The Mavericks gained the lead in the top of the fourth inning as senior Jenna Peterson recorded a run with the credit for the RBI going to freshman Tatum Klein giving the Mavericks a 2-1 lead.
 
MSU’s offensive outpouring continued in the top of the fifth inning as Sonner reached on a single, and would score a run off of an Erickson home run. Junior Anna Cole also stroked a home run in the inning in pushing the Maverick lead to 5-1.
 
The Mavericks would add an additional two runs in the sixth inning as both Erickson and Sonner crossed home plate extending the MSU lead to 7-1. The Cougars would post a three-run sixth inning bringing the score to 7-4 after six complete innings.
 
MSU would not let off the throttle though, as it tallied another five runs in the top of the seventh inning, three of which came off the bat of Erickson who recorded her second straight home run, this time a three-run shot. Junior Samantha Holien followed that up with a solo shot of her own, extending the Mavericks' lead to 12-4.
 
The Mavericks were led by Erickson, who recorded four hits in five at bats, including back-to-back home runs while tallying six RBI. As a unit, MSU recorded 16 hits.
 
Sophomore pitcher Brittany Lauterbach pitched six innings giving up four runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Senior Jenna Peterson pitched an inning in relief and did not surrender a hit or a run in one inning of work.
 
The Mavericks return to action Saturday, April 27 as they are set to play the University of Minnesota Duluth at the Diamond at Gage Towers, with the first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.