Box Score MANKATO, Minn. --- Second-seed Minnesota surrendered five runs over the first three innings and was unable to complete the comeback as it dropped a 5-3 decision to seventh-seed Southeastern Oklahoma State in the opening game of the NCAA Central Region 2 Tournament Friday afternoon at the MSU Softball Diamond.
 
With the loss, the Mavericks slip to 43-11 overall and will play the loser of game two between Emporia State and Central Oklahoma tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. The Savage Storm improve to 39-17 on the season and will battle the ESU and UCO winner at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
 
The Savage Storm started the contest with three consecutive singles capped by an RBI base hit to left by sophomore Sydney Kramer. SEOSU claimed a two-run cushion two batters when Kramer touched home after a MSU error. Senior Sam Holien answered back for the Purple and Gold in the bottom of the first drilling a leadoff home run over the fence in centerfield, her eighth of the season.
 
After a scoreless second frame, SEOSU padded the lead with a three-run top of the third. Kramer tagged a double to left field and junior Haley Strawn plated her with single up the middle, before sophomore Courtney Riddle lifted a two-run shot to left extending the Savage Storm a 5-1 advantage and knocking NSIC Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, Coley Ries, from the game.
 
That score held until the bottom of the sixth when senior Kelly Wood and freshman Ashley Thell blasted back-to-back RBI doubles to right-center field slicing the SEOSU lead to 5-3 with one inning to play.
 
MSU put one runner aboard with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Savage Storm senior Mindy McElroy shut the door securing SEOSU's 5-3 victory.
 
McElroy (25-9) scattered six hits and a trio of earned runs against two punchouts to earn the complete-game win, while Ries (23-7) surrendered six hits and five runs, four earned, across 2.2 innings of work. Senior Brittany Lauterbach fired 4.1 shutout innings with one strikeout and three hits in relief.
 
Holien, Thell and Wood all registered an extra-base hit and a RBI in the defeat.

MSU will now take on Emporia State on Saturday, at 12:30 p.m. Should the Mavericks defeat the Hornets, they will take on the loser of the game between Central Oklahoma and Southeastern Oklahoma State at 4 p.m.