CLERMONT, Fla. --- The Minnesota State softball team earned its fifth win at the College Spring Games Tuesday morning as it defeated American International 3-1. With the win, MSU improves to 9-7 on the season.

Freshman pitcher Libby Bemis (4-0) earned her fourth victory of the season as she allowed just one run in 6.1 innings, while striking out eight batter. She has now earned a win in her last four starts. Jillian Bedard (0-1) took the loss as she gave up three runs, two earned, in six innings of work.

The Mavericks opened the game with a two-run top of the first as they tallied four hits, to go along with one error by the Yellow Jackets. With one out, freshman Jess Meidltripled and was brought in with an RBI-single off the bat of sophomore Ashley Thell. Thell would advance to second on a fielding error by the right fielder. After a single by sophomore Samantha Buhmann put runners on the corners, sophomore Molly Sager drove in Thell with an RBI-single to make it 2-0 in favor of the Mavericks.

The score remained 2-0 in favor of the Mavericks heading into the top of the fourth. Bemis faced the minimum nine batters through the first three innings that included five strikeouts. With one out and nobody on in the top of the fourth, freshman Kara Lattery recorded her second home run of the season to make it 3-0 in favor of the Mavericks.

The Yellow Jackets managed to record a couple of hits in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings against Bemis, but only managed to get one run across the plate in the bottom of the sixth as Alexa DiLeo singled in Lyndsey Letourneau to make it 3-1.

The Mavericks carried their 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh, where the Yellow Jackets managed to load the bases against Bemis with one out. Sophomore Coley Ries then came on in relief of Bemis and induced a pair pop ups to shut the door for her first save of the season.

Both teams managed nine hits in the game, with Buhmann leading all hitters with three. Lauren Tosi tallied two hits for the Yellow Jackets.

The Mavericks continue play in the College Spring Games on Wednesday as they take on Kutztown and Merrimack. Game times are scheduled for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.

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