Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. JOSEPH, Mo. --- The Minnesota State softball team won its third and fourth straight games as it downed Pittsburg State, 16-6, before knocking off No. 12 Emporia State, 12-4, in six innings to improve to 14-6 on the season.

The Mavericks were able to find their offensive groove in their first contest of the day as they downed Pittsburg State, 16-6.

MSU started the game scoring two runs in the opening inning and added a run in the top of the second inning, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead. MSU posted an additional four runs in the third inning, and Pitt State answered with a two-run dinger in the bottom of the third inning bringing the score to 7-2 after three complete innings.

MSU responded with an additional two runs in the fourth inning, and Pitt State was able to get one runner across the dish for a 9-3 advantage favoring the Mavericks heading into the fifth inning. Pitt State made things interesting in the sixth inning adding three runs and cutting the MSU lead to 9-6 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

MSU extinguished any hopes of a Pitt State comeback as it added seven runs in the top of the seven inning to earn the 16-6 victory and earn its 13th win of the season.

Junior Brittany Lauterbach pitched six innings giving up six runs (four earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts. Senior Samantha Holien scored three runs on two hits with four RBI in five at bats to pace the MSU offensive attack.

In its second contest of the day against No. 12 Emporia State, MSU surrendered two runs in the top of the first inning with freshman Coley Ries in the circle. The Hornets scored two runs on one hit with one Maverick error in the top of the first frame.

Holien got things rolling for MSU in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff single and advanced to third base as sophomore Karli DesLauries reached on a Hornet error. Both Holien and DesLauries were batted in by a two-run single from senior Lindsay Erickson, who reached second base on the throw. Sophomore Laura Milligan was credited with an RBI single scoring Erickson and giving the Mavericks a 3-2 lead after one inning of play.

The two teams were held scoreless through the next inning and a half, before DesLauries was able to use her speed to reach first base on an error by the pitcher then Erickson belted a two-run dinger pushing the Mavericks' lead to 5-2 with three outs remaining in the bottom of the third inning. Senior Anna Cole kept things rolling in the inning with a double - sophomore Emily Bransky came in to pinch run for Cole - and scored by way of an RBI single by freshman Ashley Thell giving MSU a 6-2 lead after three complete innings.

The Mavericks kept things rolling in the fourth inning as freshman Dana Mogren recorded a double and crossed home plate after a Holien home run pushing the MSU lead to 8-2 after four innings of play.  Thell posted an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning as MSU posted one run on two hits with one Emporia State error.

The Hornets responded with two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth inning before the Mavericks posted three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning earning the 12-4 victory in six innings over No. 12 Emporia State.

Ries went all six innings for the Mavericks giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits with six strikeouts. Erickson led the MSU offensive attack scoring three runs on three hits in three at bats with five RBI.

The Mavericks complete the Missouri Western Invitational Sunday as they do battle with Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., respectively.