St. Joseph, Mo. --- The Minnesota State softball team split day one at the Apple Market Classic, as it fell to Missouri Western State in game one of the day, 4-2, before defeating Northwest Missouri State in game two, 10-6.

MSU now stands at 13-9 on the season. 

In the first game of the day, Minnesota State fell short to Missouri Western State, 4-2, as the Mavericks were unable to push across two runs in the top of the seventh to extend the game. In the seventh, MSU loaded the bases with one out and had two opportunities to put a run on the board , but was unable to as both batters hit into fielder's choices.

Freshman pitcher Libby Bemis (6-1) took the loss for MSU, as she gave up three earned runs in six innings of work and struck out six batters with one walk. 

The Griffons would push a run a piece in the first and fourth inning of the game, after a RBI double in the first and a solo home run by a MWSU.

The Mavericks would finally push across two runs over home plate in the top of the fifth, as juniors Laura Milligan and Tatum Klein would both cross the plate after an error by a Griffons player, which tied the game up at 2-2.  

MWSU would quickly answer in the bottom half of the fifth inning, as senior Tiffany Gillaspy  posted a sac fly to centerfield, to put the Griffons up one after five, 3-2. In the next inning, the Griffons added a little insurance to their lead as freshman Paige Shifflet belted a solo home run to centerfield. 

Overall, MSU notched 11 hits and one error in the loss and left 9 runners on base, while MWSU posted 7 hits, 2 errors and four runners left on base.

Klein led the Mavericks in the loss, as she finished 4-4 from the plate with one RBI, while freshman Jess Meidl was the lone other MSU player to record at least two hits in the game.

In game two of the day, the Mavericks would rebound with a 10-6 win over Northwest Missouri  State. MSU exploded for 14 hits in the win, including seven extra base hits.

Junior Katie Koponen started the game for the Mavericks, before being quickly relieved by Bemis, (7-1) as she picked up the win over the Bearcats. Bemis pitched all seven innings, while giving up only one earned run in the win.

The Mavericks would jump out quickly with the lead as they tallied four runs in the top half of the first inning. Sophomore Samantha Buhmann would start the four-run inning with a sac fly to centerfield, that scored Meidl, before sophomore Ashley Thell scored the next run for MSU after a an error by a NWMSU player. The final two runs of the first came off the bat of sophomore Molly Sager, as she added a two RBI single to right center, that pushed across sophomore Dana Mogren and freshman Kara Lattery. 

The Bearcats answered right back, as they scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, to put the score at 5-4, with NWMSU leading after one inning of play.

MSU would score the next four runs of the game, as Buhmann added to her stat sheet with a RBI single up the middle that scored Meidl in the bottom of the second. In the next inning, Sager blasted a solo home run to right center, before the Mavericks added two more run in the fifth. Sager recorded a sac fly that scored junior Karli DesLauriers and junior Emily Bransky notched a RBI single up the middle, that pushed Meidl across the plate again in the fifth.

The Bearcats pushed across one more run in the game after a solo home run from sophomore Chantel Adams. MSU would answered right back with a two run inning in sixth after Lattery belted her third home run of the season that also brought in Buhmann for a run.

Sager finished with two hits and four RBI in the win, while Lattery and Buhmann each ended the game with two RBI in the game.

The Mavericks will return to action Saturday in the Apple Market Classic, as they will take on Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern State. First pitch for those games are scheduled for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.