Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAVAGE, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team won its seventh and eighth straight games with a 6-0 victory and an 8-2 win over Concordia-St. Paul in the conference opener as freshman Coley Ries posted a career-high 17 strikeouts in the Mavericks' first contest of the day.

With the wins, MSU improves to 18-6 overall and 2-0 in NSIC action, while CU drops to 5-17 overall and 0-2 on the circuit.

The Mavericks wasted no time finding their way onto the scoreboard in the day's first contest as senior Samantha Holien posted a leadoff single, before advancing to second base on a sac bunt by sophomore Karli DesLauries, then senior Lindsay Erickson blasted her sixth home run of the season, giving MSU a 2-0 lead after the top half of the first inning.

The reigning NSIC Pitcher of the Week, Ries was able to hold the Golden Bears scoreless recording nine-straight strikeouts for CU's first nine outs of the contest.

Holien recorded her second single of the contest in the top of the third inning before fellow senior Anna Cole connected on an RBI single pushing the Mavericks' lead to 3-0 in the middle of the third inning.

With two outs in the top of the second inning, Holien reached base for the third time in the contest. This time by a fielding error from the shortstop before advancing to second on a single off of the bat of DesLauries which set up a three-run dinger for Erickson, her second of the contest and seventh of the season.

Ries was able to extinguish any hopes of a Golden Bear comeback recording two strikeouts in the game's final three outs.

Erickson led the Mavericks offensively with two home runs in three at bats and five RBI. Holien finished with three runs on two hits in three at bats.

Ries had a dominating performance in the circle in MSU's conference opener, earning her second-straight shutout and fanning a career-high 17 of 24 batters faced while allowing three hits improving to 8-2 on the season.

In the second contest of the day, MSU once again found its way on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning as senior Kelly Wood recorded her second home run of the season scoring herself and DesLauries giving the Mavericks a 2-0 lead after the first half inning of play.

Concordia-St. Paul recorded its lone run of the day by way of a solo home run off the bat of Elena Koncar cutting the MSU lead to 2-1 after three complete innings.

Freshman Abby Whritenour continued the MSU scoring attack in the top of the fourth inning making her way around the horn after being hit by a pitch, the RBI was credited to Holien. Freshman Dana Mogren posted the Mavericks' second run of the fourth inning following Wood, who was also hit by a pitch, giving MSU a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.

With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, the Mavericks embarked on a two-out rally as DesLauries, Erickson and Wood all made their way across the dish. MSU scored three runs on three hits with two Golden Bear errors taking a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning.

The two teams traded runs in the seventh inning giving MSU the 8-2 victory. Junior Brittany Lauterbach went all seven innings in the circle for MSU surrendering two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts, improving to 8-4 on the season.
Wood recorded two runs on two hits in three at bats including four RBI to pace the Maverick offense. Holien and sophomore Tatum Klein each recorded an RBI in the victory.

MSU returns to action Sunday morning as it does battle with Bemidji State in the West St. Paul Regional Activities Center with a twinbill slated for 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.