ST. JOSEPH, Mo. --- The Minnesota State softball team wrapped up its final day of competition at the Apple Market Classic where it topped Central Missouri 6-4 in 10 innings, before falling to Emporia State 4-3. MSU now owns a 15-11 record on the season.

The Mavericks began the day with a 6-4 extra innings win over Central Missouri. Sophomore Coley Ries (8-8) picked up the win in relief as she gave up one unearned run in four innings, while striking out two. Freshman Libby Bemis threw six innings and allowed three runs, while striking out six in the start. Jakki Prater (8-3) was saddled with the loss as she allowed six runs, three earned, in 10 innings of work.   

Through the first five innings UCM built a 3-0 lead. Prater plated the game's first run in the bottom of the first with an RBI-double, before the Jennies added two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Lauren Mabe drove in a run with a ground out to second base, before Alex Leonhart drove in the inning's second run with a single through the left side.

The Mavericks would stage a rally in the later innings beginning with a sacrifice fly by sophomore Dana Mogren that plated freshman Jess Meidl in the sixth. The Mavericks would knot up the score at three in the top of the seventh as Meidl belted a two-run shot to left center. The Jennies managed to load the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out but a line out and a ground out would send the game into extras.

The top of the eighth saw the international tie breaker rule in effect as sophomore Samantha Buhmann was place on second to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved her over to third, sophomore Ashley Thell hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in the go ahead run. UCM was able to respond in the bottom of the eighth as Amanda Nally scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

After a scoreless ninth inning, the Mavericks would post two runs in the top of the tenth to take a 6-4 lead. Meidl drove in junior Emily Bransky with a single down the left field line. Meidl would later score MSU's second run of the inning on a muffed throw by the first baseman.

UCM managed to get runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the tenth, but a strikeout and a pair of pop ups ended the game as the Mavericks secured the 6-4 win.

Meidl finished the game with four hits, three RBI and three runs scored.

The Mavericks finished their day with a 4-3 loss to Emporia State. Ries (8-9) took the loss as she gave up four runs, on seven hits, while striking out eight. Kaitlyn Caston (8-2) picked up the win as she gave up three runs, one earned, in seven innings.

Both offenses started strong in the first as each team plated a pair of runs. Stephanie Goodwin posted a two run home run to left center to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead, before a single by Mogren and an error by the left fielder allowed two runs to cross the plate for the Mavericks.

The scored remained tied at two until the top of the sixth when Jacie Stephens drove in Caston with an RBI-single to make it 3-2 in favor of ESU. The Hornets added another run in the top of the seventh as Jessica Gragg doubled in Taylor Zordel to make it 4-2.

The Mavericks managed to get one run across the plate in the bottom of the seventh as Buhmann drove in Bransky with a single to shortstop, but that was all MSU was able to get as Caston managed to get the final out to lock down the 4-3 win for the Hornets.

Buhmann and Bransky both tallied a pair of hits in the game, with Buhmann also notching an RBI and a run scored.

The Mavericks will open their conference schedule at home on Tuesday as they take on the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears in a doubleheader at the MSU Softball Diamond. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.  


                                                                    -30-