Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. JOSEPH, Mo. --- The Minnesota State softball team improved to 12-6 overall with a pair of wins over Washburn and Missouri Southern State by scores of 8-2 and 5-2, respectively on the opening day of the Missouri Western Softball Invitational.  

The Mavericks started the scoring against Washburn in the first contest of the day in the second inning as senior Kelly Wood recorded a single and crossed home plate by way of an RBI double from fellow senior Anna Cole.

MSU extended its lead to 4-0 following the top of the fifth inning as it scored three runs on three hits. Freshman Ashley Thell got things rolling with a leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Tatum Klein reached with a single, before both she and Thell scored by way of a home run by senior Samantha Holien, her fourth of the season.

Freshman pitcher Coley Ries surrendered two earned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Washburn was able to record two runs, cutting the MSU lead to 4-2 after six inning of play.

Thell once again got things started in the top of the seventh inning with a single up centerfield before stealing second base and reached third base on a passed ball. Holien stepped to the plate and record an RBI double scoring Thell. Sophomore Karli DesLauries recorded a single moving Holien to third base, before senior Lindsay Erickson posted her fourth home run of the season scoring DesLauries, Holien and herself giving the Mavericks an unsurmountable 8-2 lead with one half of an inning remaining.

The Ichabods were unable to mount any type of comeback as junior Brittany Lauterbach sat three straight Washburn batters, in the seventh inning. Ries gave up two runs on five hits while striking out eight batters.
Holien scored two runs and recorded two RBI, while Erickson scored one run in four at bats with three RBI.

In their second contest of the day, MSU and Missouri Southern State were scoreless through three complete innings, before the Mavericks posted three runs on three hits with one Lion error.  Cole, Wood and sophomore Laura Milligan all crossed home plate off of the bat of a three-run double from Thell.

MSSU responded with two earned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as lLauterbach surrendered two runs, with the Lions cutting the MSU lead to 3-2 heading into the top of the fifth inning.

Cole continued the Mavericks' scoring in the sixth inning as she was walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, before Thell recorded her fourth RBI of the game, pushing the MSU lead to 4-2 heading into the final inning of play.
Holien was able to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning recording a single before being batted in by Erickson, earning the Mavericks the 5-2 win and 12th win of the 2014 campaign.

Thell paced the Maverick offense in its second contest of the day recording four RBI on two hits in three at bats, Cole recorded two runs on two hits in three at bats.

Lauterbach  improved to 5-4 on the season, surrendering two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in five innings of work, Ries saw  two innings of relief and allowed one hit..

The Mavericks return to action tomorrow as they do battle with Pittsburg State and No. 12 Emporia State at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., respectively.