ST. CLOUD, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team won its first games of the season Thursday at the NSIC/MIAA Crossover as it defeated Central Missouri 6-0, before topping Missouri Western State 2-1.

With the wins, MSU improved to 2-4 on the season.

To begin the day, the Mavericks took down Central Missouri, 6-0, thanks to a combined one-hitter from sophomore Coley Ries and junior Katie Koponen.

Ries (1-3) picked up the win after throwing six innings, while giving up just one hit, and striking out 15 batters. Her 15 strikeouts were just two behind her single-game career-high. Koponen came in relief of Ries in seventh to close out the game. Senior pitcher Katie Shockley (1-2) took the loss for the Jennies, as she surrendered six earned run and four walks, while the Mavericks were able to post 12 hits.

MSU was able to get the scoring going right away in the first inning, as sophomore Samantha Buhmann brought in junior Tatum Klein, after an RBI-single, to put the Mavericks up 1-0 after one.

The Mavericks were able to drive in three more runs in the second inning after a trio of RBI-singles, to put MSU up 4-0. Junior Karli DesLauriers would start the scoring with base hit, to bring freshman Kara Lattery across the plate, before Klein would do the same thing, scoring junior Emily Bransky. Before the inning was over, freshman Alyssa Rickels would bring home DesLauriers to mark the third run of the inning.

Buhmann was not done yet, as she began the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off triple, where she would eventually get pinched run for by freshman Kelly Grove. Next up was sophomore Dana Mogren, who doubled to bring in Grove from third, to make the score 5-0 after five.

MSU would push across one more run in the sixth inning, thanks to an RBI-double from junior Kelly Grove, as Klein would score from third.

For the game, five Mavericks had at least two hits in the win, with Klein leading the way going 2-3 with two runs, one RBI and one walk.

The Mavericks finished the day with a 2-1 win over the Missouri Western State Griffons.

Ries (2-3) picked up her second win of the day as she allowed just one run, on five hits, while striking out 10 batters. Shyanne Saladino (3-2) took the loss as she gave up two runs on six hits, through seven innings of work.

The MSU offense did all its damage in the top of the third as the Mavericks scored two runs, to take a 2-0 lead. Thell began the scoring as she drove in Klein with an RBI-single, before Buhmann drove in Thell with an RBI-double.

Missouri Western State managed to get one run in the bottom of the fourth as Kailey Green drove in Katie Klosterman with an RBI-triple but Ries would keep the Griffons off the scoreboard through the remainder of the game as she allowed just one more base hit through the final three innings to lock down the 2-1 win for MSU.

The Mavericks continue play in the NSIC/MIAA Crossover on Friday as they take on #17 Emporia State. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

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