Mankato, Minn.--- The Minnesota State softball team picked up a pair of conference wins over Minnesota Crookston on Friday afternoon. In the first game of the day, MSU defeated UMC, 3-1, before the Mavericks powered past the Golden Eagles in game two, 7-4.

Minnesota State now sits at 22-14 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

In game one, sophomore pitcher Coley Ries (11-11) led MSU in the win, as she pitched all seven innings and struck out 10 batters, while giving up just one earned run and four hits. Bailey Braatz (2-10) took the loss for UMC, as she gave up three earned runs, seven walks and six hits.

The Mavericks scored their first run of the game in the fourth, as sophomore Molly Sager began the inning with a lead-off double down the left field line. Later in the inning, sophomore Mandi Mauch brought in Sager with a RBI single up the middle.

MSU scored its final two runs in the sixth after a fielder's choice RBI from sophomore Samantha Buhmann that pushed across junior Karli DesLauriers from third. Junior Tatum Klein added a RBI single up the middle, that scored freshman Kelly Grove from second.

The Golden Eagles would record a run in the top of the seventh but it was not enough as the Mavericks won game one, 3-1.

In the second game of the day, freshman pitcher Libby Bemis (11-2) picked up another win for the Purple and Gold. Bemis threw five innings of work and struck out three batters, while giving up zero earned runs and just four hits. Junior Katie Koponen pitched the last two innings and struck out one UMC player.

The Mavericks scored in all six innings they batted in and were able to collect 12 hits in the win. Klein got the scoring going in the first, as she scored from third base on a wild pitch, before sophomore Ashley Thell did the same in the second inning. 

In the third, MSU pushed across two more runs after a sac fly to right field from Sager that scored sophomore Dana Mogren from third. Later in the inning, freshman Kara Lattery crossed the plate after another wild pitch from the Golden Eagles. 

Mogren added another insurance run in the fourth inning, as she belted a RBI double down the left field line that brought in junior Emily Bransky from third. In next inning, Thell led-off and ripped a triple to right field and would eventually cross the plate after a fielding error by a UMC player.

The Golden Eagles tallied their first run of the game in the top of the sixth, before MSU scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth. Lattery notched a RBI double to left center that pushed across freshman Jess Meidl from third.

UMC posted three more runs in the top of the seventh, as the Golden Eagles recorded four hits in the inning, before MSU went on to the 7-4 victory.

Klein and Bransky ended the day with four hits and four stolen bases a piece, while Lattery, Sager and Thell each collected two hits.

The Mavericks will continue their home schedule Saturday, with a doubleheader against Bemidji State. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.