ST. CLOUD, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team finished the Kelly Laas NSIC/MIAA Crossover on a high note Saturday morning as it defeated Fort Hays State 7-1.

With the win, the Mavericks improve to 4-4 on the season, while Fort Hays State falls to 1-6.

Junior Coley Ries (3-3) was nearly perfect through six innings as she faced just 19 batters. Ries struck out 11 batters, while giving up just one hit, a home run by Samantha Villarreal in the fourth inning. Carrie Clark (0-3) took the loss as she gave up seven runs, six earned, in seven innings. The Mavericks tallied a total of 14 hits, while the FHSU defense recorded five errors.

Senior Karli DesLauriers got the scoring going in the top of the second as she drove in a pair of runs with an RBI-single to put MSU up 2-0.

The Mavericks then busted the game open as they scored four runs on four hits in the top of the third to take a 6-0 lead. Sophomore Jess Meidl plated junior Dana Mogren and senior Emily Bransky with an RBI-double. Junior Ashley Thell then drove in Meidl with an RBI-single, before freshman McKenzie Paap brought in Thell with an RBI-triple.

MSU added one more run in the top of the sixth to make it 7-1 as senior Tatum Klein scored on a fielding error. Senior Katie Koponen came on in relief of Ries in the bottom of the seventh and set the Tigers down in order to lock down the 7-1 win for Minnesota State.

Six Mavericks recorded two or more hits against the Tigers, including Paap, who tallied three hits. Thell, Klein, Bransky, Mogren and Meidl each tallied two hits as well. MSU also posted seven stolen bases, including three from Bransky and two from Klein.

Minnesota State returns to action on Saturday, March 5, as it takes on Indiana, Pa., at the College Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.

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