Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --- The No. 12 Minnesota State softball team earned its third and fourth-straight wins as it swept No. 17 Augustana by scores of 3-2 and 5-4 on Saturday.
 
With the wins, the Mavericks improve to 36-8 overall and 20-2 in NSIC action, while the Vikings slip to 35-10 overall and 18-6 on the circuit. 
 
MSU was able to start the day with a 3-2 victory over Augustana in the first game of the twinbill.
 
Senior Kelly Wood wasted no time getting the Mavericks on the scoreboard as she drove home a three-run dinger, scoring fellow seniors Samantha Holien and Anna Cole, to give MSU a 3-0 lead after the first half inning of play. 
The Vikings were able to cut the MSU lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning as they scored one run on one Maverick error. 
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Augustana looked to mount a comeback and was able to cut the Maverick lead to 3-2 and had a runner in scoring position with two outs. Freshman pitcher Coley Ries was able to preserve the win as she fanned Mackenzie Alstott for the final out.
 
Ries went all seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with nine strikeouts to improve to 17-3 on the season.
 
Wood's seventh home run of the season provided all of MSU's runs in game one, as she scored one run on two hits with three RBI.
 
In the second game of the day, it was the Vikings that took an early 1-0 lead as Janelle Trautmann connected on a solo home run giving Augustana a 1-0 lead after two complete innings of play.
 
The Mavericks responded with three runs on three hits in the top of the third inning as Wood connected on an RBI-single scoring Holien and senior Lindsay Erickson to give MSU a 3-1 lead after the top half of the third inning. The Vikings responded with two runs on one hit with one Maverick error in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game at 3-3 after three complete innings of play.
 
Augustana regained the lead, posting one run on two hits in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead into the fifth inning, where the Mavericks scored one run on four hits. Erickson connected on a single before sophomore Laura Milligansubbed in as a pinch runner, eventually crossing the dish off an RBI-double from Wood.
 
The Mavericks were able to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning as freshman Ashley Thell reached on a fielding error by the third baseman. Thell eventually crossed the dish off an RBI-double from sophomore Tatum Klein. The Vikings posted a hit in the bottom of the seventh, but MSU was able to hold on to earn the 5-4 victory.
 
Junior Brittany Lauterbach started the game and pitched three innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on two hits before she was relieved by Ries who pitched four innings of relief allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts, improving her record to 18-3.
 
Wood once again paced the Maverick offense in game two, posting two hits and three RBI. Erickson finished the game with one run on two hits.
 
The Mavericks return to action Wednesday as they entertain the University of Sioux Falls at the MSU Softball Diamond. The opening pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.